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DHAKA: Thirty-five Bangladeshis have been repatriated from three European countries. Of them, 19 were from Italy, 10 from Greece and six from Cyprus. They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka aboard a special chartered flight (PVG 9445) at around 8:15am on Friday.
According to airport sources and immigration police, BRAC’s Migration Programme provided the returnees with emergency assistance, counselling and financial support to help them reach their respective homes. The assistance was provided in cooperation with Civil Aviation Security and the Expatriate Welfare Desk. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union were also present.
The 35 returnees received assistance at the airport under the Pratyasha-2 project, jointly funded by the European Union and BRAC. They will receive financial assistance at a later stage after completing counselling and training.
In 2017, the Bangladesh government signed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) agreements with European countries to facilitate the repatriation of undocumented or irregular Bangladeshi migrants from Europe. Around 5,000 Bangladeshis have returned to the country under these agreements so far. The largest numbers have returned from Cyprus, Italy, Romania and France.
Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC, said Italy, Greece and Germany have accounted for the highest numbers of Bangladeshis returning from Europe in recent years. Upon arrival, they receive emergency assistance and counselling at the airport, followed by financial support to help them rebuild their lives.
He added that awareness campaigns are being conducted across the country to discourage people from taking risks to reach Europe. At the same time, European countries have taken initiatives to recruit workers legally from Bangladesh.
