According to a statement made by the Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Antonio Alessandro, his government is taking measures to resolve the backlog of applications, many of which were submitted months ago, EU Helpers reports.
The ambassador also pointed out that in order to process these applications faster, reinforcements from Rome have been arranged.
Italian Ambassador Warns Over New Measures
In a meeting with the newly appointed secretary in Bangladesh, Jashim Uddin, Ambassador Alessandro warned that more stringent measures will be implemented against the misuse of work visas.
While the Italian government is increasing the number of visas issued in 2025, it is also introducing more rigorous steps to combat irregular migration.
The ambassador said that he is looking forward to working with the Foreign Secretary, Uddin, to strengthen the bilateral relations with Bangladesh and promote legal migration to those who want to work in Italy.
Previously, the Prime Minister of Italy, Georgia Meloni, has raised concerns about the new quota – an employment scheme that allows foreigners to come and work in the country.
She also revealed that criminal networks are selling foreigners work visas for prices up to €15,000, contributing to the misuse of this scheme. It is quite common for foreigners, especially Bangladeshi nationals, to be found in such situations.
Italy Increases the Number of Click-Days in Effort to Fill Labour Shortages
Due to a shortage of workers across many industries in the country, the Italian government has decided to add more days for foreigners seeking to benefit from the employment scheme.
In addition to increasing the number of click days designated for application, the government has also plans to modify the application process. Workers of specific fields will be applying for work visas on certain days. In this way, they can avoid the backlog of applications, which is already overwhelming.
In 2023, a total of 136,000 foreigners were issued work visas to Italy, and in 2024, the number was 151,000. In 2025, the Italian government will be granting 165,000 visas, 93,550 of which will be for seasonal workers.
