Bangladesh and the European Union have agreed to enhance cooperation aimed at curbing irregular migration and human trafficking while expanding legal employment opportunities for skilled Bangladeshi workers in Europe. The agreement was finalized during a bilateral meeting on Monday at the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry office in Dhaka.

The meeting was led by Bangladesh’s Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury and EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner. The Bangladeshi government emphasized its commitment to ensuring safe and regular migration, noting that strict measures have been implemented to regulate the migration sector. As part of these efforts, licenses for 49 recruiting agencies have been revoked to crack down on unauthorized recruitment practices.

Minister Chowdhury encouraged the EU to broaden access for skilled Bangladeshi workers to the European labor market, highlighting Bangladesh’s role as a "Talent Partner" in EU skills development initiatives. The government expressed interest in expanding employment in sectors such as information and communication technology (ICT), construction, textiles, shipbuilding, agriculture, and hospitality.

Md Mokhtar Ahmed, secretary of the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, emphasized the need for EU support in areas including skills assessment in line with European standards, certification, language training, and the advancement of digital recruitment platforms. He also sought assistance for the rehabilitation of returning migrants under Bangladesh's National Reintegration Policy 2025.

Commissioner Brunner reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to support measures against illegal migration and trafficking, while also facilitating legal migration pathways. He noted that approximately 500,000 Bangladeshi nationals currently reside legally across various EU member states. Brunner further observed that recent improvements in Bangladesh’s political stability have positively influenced asylum application trends, with Bangladesh now regarded as a "Safe Country" in this context.

Discussions centered on promoting orderly migration, reinforcing protections against human trafficking, and developing frameworks that enable greater access for Bangladeshi workers to skilled employment opportunities within the EU. The meeting was attended by State Minister Md Nurul Huq, senior officials from the expatriate ministry, and representatives from the EU delegation to Bangladesh.