Politics

Bangladesh and EU pursue skilled migration and trafficking cooperation

Bangladesh and the European Union have agreed to strengthen cooperation against trafficking while developing lawful opportunities for skilled workers. Dhaka requested help with qualifications, language training and recruitment systems. The discussions did not establish a new visa quota or immediate recruitment scheme.

Bengal Brief · 12 October 2026 · 1 min read

From 13 October 2026 — Daily Brief

Bangladesh and the European Union agreed on 12 October to strengthen cooperation against human trafficking and irregular migration while developing lawful employment opportunities for skilled Bangladeshis.

Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury met European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner in Dhaka. The discussions included cooperation under the Bangladesh–EU Talent Partnership.

Bangladesh requested support for skills assessment against European standards, certification, language training and digital recruitment systems. Officials identified information technology, construction, textiles, shipbuilding, agriculture and hospitality as potential areas of cooperation.

Brunner said the EU was ready to support legal migration channels alongside measures against trafficking. He put the number of Bangladeshis legally resident in EU member states at about 500,000.

The meeting outlined areas for further work. It did not announce a new visa quota, open an immediate recruitment programme or establish an automatic right for applicants to work in an EU country.

Source: The Business Standard, 12 October 2026.

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