Shama stresses skill development for promoting safe migration

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam emphasised on the “zero tolerance” commitment of the government toward illegal migration during a meeting on migration & mobility- Bangladesh situation held at the state guest house Padma on Monday.

The meeting was held in the background of recent deaths of Bangladeshis on the Mediterranean sea- a dangerous route taken by the irregular migrants on Bangladesh-Libya-Italy route, said a press release.

Shama chaired the meeting. The foreign secretary, senior officials of the government, ambassador of Italy, CDA of Libya and chief of IOM Mission in Dhaka were also in attendance and took part in the discussion.

During the meeting, Shama gave stern warning to bring the unscrupulous syndicates under laws who have been involved in this illegal practice. At the session, the ambassador of Italy to Bangladesh informed that the European Union is going to enact a new regulation on asylum and migration in June 2026, where asylum process would become tougher to get legal status for illegal migrants.

The meeting discussed ways and future expansion of safe, orderly, and regular migration pathways by imparting migrants with skills, language proficiency and making regular pathways attractive. The need to linking skill training with employment opportunities and collaboration with the employers in the destination countries to establish employment-guaranteed migration frameworks was underlined for a well-managed regular migration pathway.

The state minister urged to engage with Bangladeshi diaspora so that they could contribute more with remittance, capital, expertise and ideas imbued with the vision of “Bangladesh First” to push Bangladesh on to a development trajectory envisioned by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The meeting ended with a general agreement of all partners to continue working together and in close coordination to curb illegal migration, promote regular migration and to keep humane, regular, and rights-based approach in the entire process of migration.