Michael Shotter, Director for Migration and Asylum at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs met Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (Bilateral), Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the latter’s office on Wednesday (10 September, 2025) ahead of the 3rd Bangladesh-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue.
Welcoming Mr. Shotter, Dr. Islam commended the EU’s continued engagement with Bangladesh in fostering cooperation in the field of migration and mobility.
Mr. Shotter briefed the Secretary on the outcomes of the 9th Joint Working Group Meeting on the Standard Operating Procedures for the Identification and Return of Persons without Authorization to Stay as well as the 3rd Talent Partnership Roundtable, both held on 9 September 2025. He commended Bangladesh’s proactive stance and collaborative efforts in addressing irregular migration and stressed the need to sustain the ongoing implementation of the Returnee Case Management System.
Dr. Islam placed strong emphasis on regular and skills-based migration as one of the important pillars of Bangladesh’s engagement with the EU. He reiterated Bangladesh’s call for the expansion of legal migration pathways for aspiring migrants, including through structured initiatives such as the EU Talent Partnership, as an effective measure to counter irregular migration flows. Dr. Islam also urged the European Commission to encourage more EU Member States to participate in the Talent Partnership scheme.
Highlighting that over half of Bangladesh’s population is under the age of 30, Dr. Islam underlined Bangladesh’s potential to be a reliable partner in addressing Europe’s evolving labour market needs by supplying a steady stream of skilled and semi-skilled workers through safe and orderly migration channels.
The Secretary stressed the importance of training and certification for prospective migrants, citing successful models from South Korea and Singapore. He proposed exploring similar EU-funded training initiatives in collaboration with Bangladeshi institutions such as training centres under Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) and Technical Training Centers (TTC) under the Directorate of Technical Education to ensure alignment with EU labour market standards.
The Secretary also expressed satisfaction with the current status of negotiations on the Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Bangladesh and the EU, underscoring migration as a pivotal area of cooperation within the framework.
Mr. Shotter is leading the EU Delegation to the Bangladesh-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue, taking place from 8-10 September 2025 in Dhaka.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
