Published : 11 Nov 2026, 01:18 PM
Updated : 11 Nov 2026, 01:18 PM
Another 44 Bangladeshis who travelled to Europe without proper documentation or through irregular routes have been repatriated, including 40 from Greece and four from Cyprus.
They arrived at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 9:15am on Wednesday aboard a special chartered flight.
BRAC's Migration Programme provided the returnees with emergency assistance, counselling and financial support to help them reach their respective homes, with cooperation from Civil Aviation Security and the Expatriate Welfare Desk at the airport.
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Expatriate Welfare Desk were also present.
Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC's Migration Programme and Youth Platform, told bdnews24.com that 44 Bangladeshis had returned from Europe on Wednesday morning, including one woman.
All the returnees received food and financial assistance at the airport under the Pratyasha-2 project, jointly funded by the European Union (EU) and BRAC.
They will receive further financial support after counselling and training, Shariful said.
“Bangladeshis have long topped the list of nationalities entering Italy by crossing the Mediterranean from Libya. This year's data show that they also rank first among those entering Greece by crossing the Mediterranean from Libya. People frequently lose their lives while attempting to reach Europe by sea,” he added.
He said European countries were tightening their stance against irregular migration.
“Under the new migration policies, people entering Europe through irregular routes are being repatriated swiftly, and their asylum applications are being rejected. In other words, people spend Tk 3 million to Tk 4 million only to end up with nothing. Yet they believe that reaching Europe by any means will solve all their problems. This misconception must be dispelled,” he said.
Shariful also revealed that one of the latest returnees had encouraged others on TikTok to travel from Bangladesh to Europe through irregular routes.
He urged prospective migrants to become more aware of the risks, avoid dangerous sea crossings and pursue overseas employment through legal channels after acquiring relevant skills.
Earlier, 35 more Bangladeshis were repatriated from Italy and Greece on a special flight on Oct 23.
In 2017, the Bangladesh government signed standard operating procedure (SOP) agreements with European countries to facilitate the return of undocumented or irregular Bangladeshi migrants.
Nearly 5,000 Bangladeshis have since been repatriated under the arrangements, with significant numbers returning from Cyprus, Italy, Romania, France, Greece and Malta.
Italy, Greece and Germany account for the largest numbers of returnees.
