Staff Reporter:
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam yesterday reiterated the government’s “zero toler-ance” stance against illegal migration, warning of strict legal action against trafficking syndicates in-volved in irregular migration.
She made the remarks while chairing a meeting on migration and mobility at State Guest House Padma, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the wake of recent deaths of Bangladeshi migrants in the Mediterranean Sea on the Bangladesh-Libya-Italy route.
The state minister said the new government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman remains firmly committed to a “zero tolerance” policy toward illegal migration and warned that unscrupulous syndicates involved in such activities would be brought under the law.
Foreign Secretary, senior government officials, the ambassadors of Italy and charge de Affairs of Libya to Bangladesh and the Chief of Mission of International Organization for Migration in Dhaka attended the meeting.
During the discussion, the Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro informed that the Eu-ropean Union is set to introduce new asylum and migration regulations in June this year, making legal status for illegal migrants more difficult.
The meeting stressed expanding safe, orderly and regular migration pathways through skill development, language proficiency and stronger alignment between training and overseas employment opportunities.
The participants also underscored the need for closer collaboration with employers in destination coun-tries to establish employment-guaranteed migration frameworks.
The meeting concluded with a consensus among all stakeholders to strengthen coordinated efforts to curb illegal migration and promote humane, regular and rights-based migration practices.
