Croatia Reportedly Suspends Work Visas for Nationals of Bangladesh

In a letter addressed by the Croatian government, it was revealed that the recent Schengen Member State plans to pause work permit issuance for Bangladeshi workers.

The reason for this measure, as was stated in the letter, is related to violations of agreement terms by recruitment agencies, including the movement of Bangladeshi workers to other Schengen countries while holding Croatian permits, Schengen.News reports. 

According to the Vecernji news website, Croatian authorities have already stopped the issuance of work permits and work visas to Bangladeshis. However, an official statement on the matter is yet to be issued by the relevant authorities. 

Irregular Migration Drives Croatian Government to Implement Stringent Measures on Bangladeshi Workers 
The Bangladesh Embassy in the Hague has informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this letter, which was dated January 23. 

As the letter stated, 64.51 per cent of 12,400 work permits and visas that Croatian authorities granted to Bangladeshi workers never made it to the country, while a significant share was headed elsewhere after arriving in the country.

Due to the high influx of Bangladeshis using Croatia as a bridge to head towards other European countries, the Croatian government received criticism from the European Union, which prompted these changes.

There are between 6,000 and 7,000 Bangladeshi nationals working in Croatia, which, as the embassy pointed out, has some of the best working conditions among European countries. 

Croatia Cutting Off Work Permits & Visas for Bangladeshis Could ‘Ruin’ Their Reputation as Workers 
The embassy pointed out that these measures that Croatia intends to implement could damage the reputation of Bangladeshi workers, leading to even other European countries opting for workers from other countries. 

The letter suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, work on a draft proposal for a workforce cooperation agreement with Croatia.

Contacted by TBS regarding these developments, Rafiqul Alam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has confirmed the institution is aware of the letter and “has taken steps to address the issue.” 

Last year, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud, revealed that four EU countries would take 3,000 workers from Bangladesh. The type of workers that Germany, Italy, Greece and Romania wanted to recruit varied based on the skills that these 3,000 workers held, but there were chances that more Bangladeshi workers could be brought to the EU in the upcoming years.

Source: https://schengen.news/croatia-reportedly-suspends-work-visas-for-nationals-of-bangladesh/