Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin has urged Antonio Alessandro, ambassador of Italy to Bangladesh to address the pressing issues related to the backlog of visa applications, particularly those affecting aspiring Bangladeshi migrant workers.
He made the plea when the ambassador paid a courtesy call on the foreign secretary at his office in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Such delays in issuing visas might result in the work permits (Nula Ostas) getting expired or cancelled while causing huge financial, social and psychological distress for the visa aspirants and their families, he said.
Jashim requested the ambassador to take necessary measures to dispose of the applications and resolve the existing visa gridlock at the earliest.
Ambassador Alessandro took active note of the points raised by the Foreign Secretary, however, conveyed that all Nulla Ostas issued to Bangladeshi citizens until 22 October 2024 are currently suspended by the new law adopted by the Government of Italy on 11 October in the same year.
The embassy has, therefore, decided to return the travel documents of those who have already submitted visa applications before the adoption of the law while keeping their applications open until the confirmation or rejection of their Nulla Ostas.
The ambassador also informed that the re-examination process of Nulla Osta is solely performed by the Provincial Immigration Authority in Italy which can either confirm or revoke the Nulla Osta.
The embassy has no power to intervene in the scrutinisation of the pending Nulla Osta.
With regard to a query on processing times, the Italian Ambassador apprised that the Embassy is not in a position to conclude each visa process within the period of 90 days.
The work visa applications received in Bangladesh coupled with the mandatory control on implementation of the ‘Flow Decree’ in Italy sometimes require more than 90 days.
During the duration of “Nulla Osta” Ambassador Alessandro explained that the suspension by law has frozen the expiration date.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
