Bangladeshis are becoming illegal by going to Greece on valid visas!

Hundreds of Bangladeshis who went to Greece on a valid work permit visa but did not get the assigned work are in uncertainty. Many are already becoming illegal due to the lack of promised employers and the expiration of the visa. These Bangladeshis have approached the embassy after being cheated by unscrupulous employers and brokers.

The victims alleged that Bangladeshi brokers extorted 10 to 15 lakh taka per person by promising to arrange visas with the lure of good salaries in a specific company in Greece. But after reaching Greece, it was found that the promised employer did not exist. It is known that the brokers collected only paperwork permits from the owners of agricultural land in various villages in Greece in exchange for 500 to 1000 euros. Later, using that permit, they applied for a visa at the Greek embassy in Delhi. But after the visa approval, the expatriates did not find any jobs when they reached Greece. As a result, many of them became illegal after the specified period. This contractual visa can be renewed for up to five years if the employer is the same. On the other hand, there is also an active broker syndicate in Delhi, and there are allegations that if a proper agreement is not made with them, the visa is not issued.

One of the victims, Asif Mia from Narayanganj, said, "I came to Greece with about 1.3 million taka through a broker. I was told that I would get a job on an agricultural farm. But when I came here, I found that the owner was nowhere to be found. Now I have no work, no papers."

Ibrahim Hossain, a victim of fraud, said that while he was in Bangladesh, he was told that he would receive a salary of at least 1,200 euros per month. But when he came here, he found that the company in whose name the visa was issued did not have an office.

Nasim Hossain said, "It has been 11 months since I came to Greece, and when I contacted the brokers, they did not pick up the phone. If the owner whose visa I came on does not renew our permit, the visa will be canceled, and we will become illegal after a month. I don't know what to do now."

In this regard, Marzia Sultana, First Secretary (Labor) of the Bangladesh Embassy in Athens, told Bangladesh Pratidin, "Those who came to Greece on a valid work permit visa and are not getting the promised employer have already contacted some embassies. Taking the matter into consideration, the ambassador held a meeting with the concerned ministry."