Italy Proposes One-for-One Exchange: Take Back an Undocumented Bangladeshi, Send a Legal Migrant

Italy has proposed to Bangladesh that for every undocumented Bangladeshi migrant taken back, it will allow one Bangladeshi citizen to enter the country through legal means. This offer was disclosed by the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus.

He stated that discussions on the proposal are ongoing. Professor Yunus made these remarks during a meeting with members of the Bangladeshi community residing in Italy, held on Tuesday (14 October) at a hotel in Rome.

The previous day, on Monday, the Chief Adviser had met with the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, at his office in the Italian capital.

Referring to that meeting, Professor Yunus said, “The Mayor of Rome expressed with great respect that you [Bangladeshis] are very valuable to him. He repeatedly emphasised that you are contributing as an important part of this city and that the development of Rome is in part due to your hard work. He praised your diligence, intelligence, and creativity.”

Professor Yunus noted that he had discussed the problems faced by Bangladeshi migrants in Italy with the mayor. “I raised the issue of visas, the deportations taking place, and the fact that many people who were granted visas are now unable to get them renewed,” he said.

He also shared the mayor’s response with the expatriates, saying, “The mayor said that Bangladeshis are very important to Italy. It’s not that they want to get rid of you. On the contrary, they want to retain you respectfully.”

However, the Mayor of Rome also pointed out some issues to the Chief Adviser. “There is a problem,” Yunus explained. “Wherever Bangladeshis go, some complications arise. We are not able to avoid this. I told him that both sides suffer due to this situation. The migrants endure hardship, and we do too. They are not inherently bad people. They are good people forced into these actions due to their circumstances. We must find a way so that they don’t have to resort to desperate measures.”

As a solution, Italy has proposed an exchange scheme, Professor Yunus revealed. “They are saying now: take back one problematic individual, and we will allow one new person to come in legally.”

He added, “Let’s do an exchange to make the process transparent. They want it to be transparent, and so do we. Now the question is whether it will be one-for-one or one-for-two — that is still under discussion. But we have to resolve this, according to international law. As a member of the European Union, Italy is obligated to follow certain procedures.”

According to Italy’s Ministry of the Interior, as of 14 October this year, 54,380 asylum seekers have entered the country through irregular means. Among them, the largest group — 16,175 — are Bangladeshi nationals. Egyptians are second with 7,459, followed by migrants from Eritrea, Pakistan, and Sudan.

Commenting on these irregular entries, the Chief Adviser said, “I’ve spoken to many of those who have come through various illegal means. I even met some who had just disembarked from boats. I discussed these matters with the mayor. What to do with these people now that they’re already here? The mayor said, ‘Now that they’ve arrived, it’s our responsibility to receive them and help them settle here.’”

Professor Yunus remarked that Italy’s attitude is not to forcibly send people back. “They don’t say things like, ‘Get on the boat and go back.’ That’s what I appreciated — they treat people with respect and show humanity.”

However, the Mayor of Rome reportedly told Yunus that Bangladeshis do not intend to settle in Italy. The Chief Adviser explained, “The mayor said, ‘They don’t stay here, do they?’ I asked, ‘Why not?’ He replied, ‘Their destination is elsewhere — further north. They don’t stay long in Italy.’”

Professor Yunus confirmed that talks are ongoing to find a solution. “There are undocumented people who have entered without any paperwork. We are trying to bring them back into the legal system. Deportation is not the solution — that much is clear. Both sides agree on that.”

He also shared that he had met Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni multiple times. “We’ve met three times already. A fourth meeting is scheduled for December, when she plans to visit Bangladesh. The last meeting was held recently in New York.”

The Chief Adviser also spoke about the government’s efforts to combat human trafficking. “Everyone knows what human trafficking is — it’s a serious matter. Many lives are lost. We’re trying to prevent such tragedies. Since we have diplomatic relations with political leaders, I’ve repeatedly emphasised the need to manage migration in a proper and dignified way so our people can establish themselves in various professions.”

Highlighting the presence of Bangladeshis across Rome, he said, “There isn’t a single restaurant in Rome without a Bangladeshi chef. If Bangladeshi chefs were to leave, the city would come to a halt.”

Expressing special gratitude to the expatriates, Professor Yunus said, “When the uprising happened, the government we inherited was in disarray — the economy was empty, there was no way to pay salaries or repay debts. We were at rock bottom.”

He added that the government’s survival heavily relied on remittances. “Without these remittances, it would have been extremely difficult for this government to survive.”

Following his two-day official visit to Rome, the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Dr Muhammad Yunus, returned to Bangladesh on Wednesday morning. The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying him landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 8:20 AM.

Professor Yunus had arrived in Rome on Sunday (12 October) at 5 PM local time to attend the annual World Food Forum organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).