Irregular Bangladeshi migrants in USA, EU

Bangladesh should work seriously on reining in illegal and irregular migration to western countries and respond positively and promptly to the issue with the EU countries and USA, said top diplomats, leading business leaders and policy makers.

In a latest development, the US government has sent a letter to the Bangladesh government regarding illegal and unregister Bangladeshis with new US President Donald Trump going too harsh evicting undocumented migrants.

The USA and EU are the largest export destinations of Bangladeshi goods and thousands of Bangladeshi students pursue higher education in the western countries, sources said.

Besides, exporters and importers have to visit the western countries on business and social purposes.

Bangladesh has not responded to the US letter as of now and is working on the issue slowly, sources said.

In the 50 years, some politicians and a section of corrupt bureaucrats and brokers developed several nexuses to send high aspirant and desperate youths with life risk to the EU countries and USA, sources said.

Brokers sign deals with aspirant persons with promises to send him to USA or EU countries through illegal routes with a person costing taka 15-20 lakh.

“Unless Bangladesh government works on the issue, the genuine visa seekers would be deprived and rejected,” said a Bangladesh diplomat.

This correspondent talked to a number of Bangladeshi diplomats who worked in USA and EU countries have expressed their views that the government of Bangladesh should work seriously on the issue to have better working with the western countries.

Unless the Bangladesh government extends cooperation to the USA and EU countries, the genuine visa seekers will be rejected or deprived of visa, said a high official of the Ministry of Foreign  Affairs. He also laid emphasis on dismantling networks that mislead people into illegal migration.

A former Bangladesh Foreign Secretary on condition said” Visa of Bangladeshis is also a different issue. It was never easy. Now perhaps getting more difficult as more unemployed youth are trying legal as well as illegal means to get out of the country.

After Trump has come to power the whole world is changing. Anti immigration and anti foreigner sentiments in many western countries are becoming more intense. Take for example Germany, Italy and even the UK France. After Trump started his deportation flights I think others are getting interested. India is of course a completely separate matter. 

“Visa of Bangladeshis is also a different issue. It was never easy. Now perhaps getting more difficult as more unemployed youth are trying legal as well as illegal means to get out of the country. Our missions in the US regularly received communications regarding illegal entry through the Mexican border. But people who entered legally and subsequently became illegal they can fight using the US legal system and loopholes therein. But people who entered legally and subsequently became illegal they can fight using the US legal system and loopholes therein,” said the senior Bangladesh diplomat.

Some Bangladesh diplomats who worked in Bangladesh missions in New York, Washington DC, Florida, Miami and Los Angeles said that  the Bangladesh government should work with the new US government under President Donald Trump.

“The Bangladesh missions in USA have no data on legal or unregistered Bangladeshi migrants or  Bangladeshi-Americans” said Bangladesh diplomats.

“Most probably the number of Bangladeshi undocumented people in the ISA is not alarming. That should give Bangladesh relative advantage in this matter. Bangladesh should in principle agree to their deportation/return. Embassies may be instructed to help facilitate their stay with necessary documents, where applicable. Otherwise there is little to do when the US immigration decides to deport undocumented immigrants,” said a Bangladesh diplomat who worked in USA.

“Even Bangladesh missions in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Vienna, Warsaw, Geneva and London have no documents of Bangladeshi living in the European Union countries,” said a Bangladesh diplomat.

A senior diplomat said that sometimes the political government of Bangladesh in the past  had a soft stance on illegal or irregular migrants. Unless the government steps in to prevent illegal or irregular migration, the reputation of the country will be compromised, he added

The creation of new jobs in the economy is important and patronization of entrepreneurship is important in the context of Bangladesh to rein in irregular or illegal migration, said a policy maker.   

In a recent development, EU missions in Dhaka have also tightened the visa process in case of Bangladeshis” said a top leading readymade garment exporter of Bangladesh.  A record number of Bangladeshis applied for asylum in the European Union last year, but their acceptance rate remained very low.

According to the latest Asylum Trend 2024 report published by the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA) yesterday, 43,236 Bangladeshis sought asylum in 2024, up from 40,332 in 2023.

The report did not specify the reasons for the increase, but 2024 was a significant year, which was marked by a mass uprising and violent clashes that left around 1,400 people dead and thousands injured.

Italy saw the highest number of Bangladeshi asylum seekers. The number rose from 23,448 in 2023 to 33,455 in 2024, a 43 percent increase.

Bangladeshi nationals were the largest group of applicants in Italy, accounting for 21 percent of all asylum requests, followed by Peruvians at 10 percent.

In contrast, Bangladeshi asylum applications in France dropped from 10,215 in 2023 to 6,429 in 2024. However, applications in Greece increased from 640 in 2023 to 1,004 in 2024.

Despite the rise in applications, the recognition rate for Bangladeshi asylum seekers remained among the lowest, at approximately four percent, similar to Georgian nationals. The rate aligns with that of the previous years, said the EUAA.

In comparison, 90 percent of Syrian asylum applicants and 63 percent of Afghan applicants were granted protection in 2024.

According to the report, more than one million asylum applications were submitted in the EU, Norway, and Switzerland last year, which is 11 percent lower than 2023.

Germany remained the top choice for asylum seekers in 2024, receiving 237,000 applications, but this was 29 percent lower than the previous year.

Spain, Italy, and France followed, each receiving around 160,000 applications. Cyprus and Greece received the highest number of applications per capita, with one asylum request for every 140 residents.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Adviser Md Touhid Hossain in a meeting with the Vice Minister for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Maria Tripodi, laid emphasis on regular migration  and  joint efforts to tackle irregular migration, human trafficking and migrant exploitation.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump has reconfirmed his commitment that India would take back all verified undocumented immigrants.

“Those who stay in other countries illegally do not have any legal right to be there. As far as India and the US are concerned, we have always said that those who are verified and are truly the citizens of India – if they live in the US illegally, India is ready to take them back,” Modi said in a statement.

He also emphasized the importance of dismantling networks that deceive people into illegal migration.

According to media reports, the Pew Research Center estimated that as of 2022, there were 725,000 undocumented Indians in the U.S., making them the third-largest group after migrants from Mexico and El Salvador.

Meanwhile, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated the figure at 375,000, ranking India fifth among countries of origin.

Undocumented immigrants make up 3% of the total U.S. population and 22% of the foreign-born population, based on U.S. immigration data.