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Another 44 Bangladeshis who travelled to Europe through irregular channels have been deported to Bangladesh, including 40 from Greece and four from Cyprus.
They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 9:15am on Wednesday aboard a special chartered flight (N05542), according to immigration police and airport sources.
With support from Civil Aviation Security and the expatriate welfare desk at the airport, BRAC’s Migration Programme provided the returnees with emergency assistance, counselling and financial support to help them return to their respective homes.
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the expatriate welfare desk were also present at the airport.
Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC’s Migration Programme and Youth Platform, said all 44 returnees received food and financial assistance under the Probash programme, a joint initiative of the European Union (EU) and BRAC under the Probash-2 project.
They will receive further economic assistance after completing counselling and training, he added.
Shariful Hasan said Bangladeshis had long ranked first among nationalities entering Italy after crossing the Mediterranean from Libya. This year, they also ranked first among those reaching Greece through the same route.
He warned that many Bangladeshis lose their lives while attempting to reach Europe by sea, while European countries are tightening restrictions on irregular migration.
Under the new migration policy, people entering Europe through irregular routes are being deported quickly, with their asylum applications rejected, he said.
“Even after spending Tk 3 million to Tk 4 million, the outcome is ultimately zero. Yet people believe that simply reaching Europe, by any means, will solve all their problems. This misconception must be addressed,” he said.
He also revealed that one of the latest returnees had previously encouraged others on TikTok to travel from Bangladesh to Europe through irregular channels.
Urging prospective migrants to avoid dangerous sea routes, Shariful Hasan stressed the importance of acquiring skills and migrating through legal channels.
Earlier, on October 23, another 35 Bangladeshis were deported from Italy and Greece on a special flight, BRAC said.
In 2017, the Bangladesh government signed standard operating procedure (SOP) agreements with European countries to facilitate the repatriation of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants.
Around 5,000 Bangladeshis have returned under the arrangement so far, with significant numbers coming from Cyprus, Italy, Romania, France, Greece and Malta.
Shariful Hasan said Italy, Greece and Germany had accounted for the largest numbers of Bangladeshi returnees from Europe in recent years.
Returnees receive emergency assistance and counselling at the airport, followed by financial support to help them rebuild their lives. Awareness campaigns are also being conducted nationwide to discourage risky migration.
Meanwhile, European countries have taken initiatives to recruit Bangladeshi workers through legal channels.
Suggested caption: A symbolic image depicting the return of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants from Europe and assistance provided to returnees at Dhaka airport.
