Italy plans to recruit nearly 500,000 foreign workers over three years under its Decreto Flussi quota system, with Bangladesh among the countries eligible for recruitment.
The Italian Embassy in Dhaka highlighted the importance of legal migration, skills training and Italian language proficiency at a seminar titled “Language, Civic and Professional Training for Skilled Migration to Italy” at Dhaka Regency Hotel and Resort on Tuesday.
In the event, it was mentioned that around 217,000 Bangladeshis currently live legally in Italy, including 80,000 work permit holders.
According to figures presented at the seminar, Italy will recruit 164,850 workers in 2026, 165,850 in 2027 and 166,850 in 2028, totalling 497,550 over the three years.
Decreto Flussi is Italy's official quota system for recruiting foreign workers.
Organisers said the quotas would be distributed among different countries, with Bangladesh having a reserved quota in recognition of its cooperation in repatriating irregular migrants.
The embassy clarified that a Nulla Osta is not permission to enter Italy but an authorisation for an Italian employer to hire a worker. The embassy will make the final decision on the visa.
Article 23 offers migration outside quota system
Italy has introduced a new provision, Article 23, in its immigration law to facilitate the recruitment of skilled workers and their integration into Italian society.
Under the provision, workers who complete a certified pre-departure training program approved by Italy's Ministry of Labour and Social Policies can legally enter Italy outside the annual Decreto Flussi quota.
The training must cover three areas: basic Italian language, civic education about Italy and professional skills relevant to the workers' respective sectors.
Organisers said the training would be free for prospective migrants.
The program can be completed in Bangladesh, and applications can be submitted throughout the year without a designated click day.
"Format" representative Antonio Milo said the initiative had five key advantages: it operates outside the quota system, provides free training, is monitored by the Italian government, prepares workers in Italian language and professional skills before arrival, and offers skills that participants can use in Bangladesh even if they do not migrate to Italy.
The embassy said the guidelines were adopted on July 7, 2023.
The seminar was organised to explain the provision, its regulations and the outcomes of the first projects implemented in Bangladesh. Discussions also focused on the importance of Italian language proficiency in integrating into the country's labour market.
Residence permit application within eight days
Workers must apply for a residence permit at the Questura, or police headquarters, within eight days of arriving in Italy.
According to the contract, they can receive a residence permit for up to two years, which is renewable. After five years of legal residence, they can obtain an unlimited residence permit.
Brokers charge up to $15,000 for visas
The seminar also highlighted migration fraud, with organisers warning prospective workers against relying on brokers.
The official Italian visa fee ranges from 50 to 116 euros, while the VFS fee is 38 euros. The total cost can therefore reach 154 euros.
However, brokers charge between $10,000 and $15,000 for the same visa, often offering fake documents and making false promises, organisers said.
They stressed that legal migration costs significantly less and advised prospective migrants to follow verified information from the Italian Embassy and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).
The Article 23 training program involves no cost for workers, they added.
Government to support skilled migration
Speaking as the chief guest, Mahdi Amin, adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, said the government would try to provide expatriate cards to workers before they leave for Italy.
The cards would help workers with remittances, maintaining family relationships and accessing various government services.
He said the government would also provide assistance through BOESL and other public institutions to those seeking support with skills-based migration.
Amin said many trainees had undergone five or six months of training and were developing proficiency in Italian as a third language alongside Bangla and English.
“We want to consider this a model,” he said, adding that the government would try to adapt the curriculum to technical training centres and vocational institutions.
He said the trainees were not only building their own careers but also creating a model that could help prepare future generations of Bangladeshi workers for overseas employment.
Italian Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Federico Zamparelli delivered the welcome address, followed by opening remarks from Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro.
European Union Deputy Head of Delegation Baiba Zarina spoke as the special guest, discussing talent partnerships for safe, legal and skills-based migration to Europe.
Giuseppe De Giovanni, migration adviser at the Italian Embassy, presented the keynote paper, outlining employment-related entry regulations and the provisions of Article 23.
Massimilliano Di Fusco of Format, Antonio Milo of Frontiere Skills and Ennio Milano, manager of UP Recruitment Agency, presented several Article 23 projects.
International Labour Organization Head of program Gunjan Dalakoti and Dr Laura Nicole Tom-Bonde, chief of mission of the International Organization for Migration in Bangladesh, also spoke at the event.
Government officials and media representatives attended the seminar. Trainees from two Article 23 projects were also present.
They included prospective migrants selected by Frontiere Skills for its TASTE project, who are currently undergoing training in the restaurant and hospitality sector at Hotel Regency. A group of students from Format's textile sector training program also attended.