European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson the 'talent partnership' signed with Bangladesh is part of their 'strategic approach' to manage migration promoting safe and legal pathways.

"It is a major step forward for the European Union and Bangladesh. It is also a step forward for the companies in the Europe who are in need of new talent," she said in a video message dedicated to Bangladesh marking the signing of this new partnership. Johansson said promoting safe and legal pathways is the key to their comprehensive cooperation on migration.

"We need migration. This way we will manage migration in an orderly way and in a win-win way," said the EU Commissioner. She said the partnership is an excellent result of the dialogue they had with Bangladesh earlier. "This is a win-win partnership. Thank you for making this partnership a reality. Thank you for showing migration is normal," Johansson said.

She said there will be opportunities to improve skills for those who want to get training and come to Europe and work. On July 8, the Commission launched a new programme under the umbrella of the Talent Partnership with Bangladesh to boost labour mobility and step-up cooperation on migration. The new programme will be implemented by the International Labour Organisation from July 2024 to June 2027 and will include mobility schemes between Bangladesh and the EU Member States participating in the Talent Partnership.

The EU and Bangladesh will take stock of the implementation of this programme during the third Talent Partnership Roundtable, due to take place in the first half of 2025, according to the EU. This partnership provides mutually beneficial, regular, and safe mobility pathways to the EU, promoting legal labour migration from Bangladesh towards the EU and contributing to the prevention and reduction of irregular migration.

The programme titled 'Supporting a Talent Partnership with Bangladesh', with a budget of 3 million Euros, will be run by the International Labour Organisation, leveraging its expertise in labour market trends, skills development, and social dialogue. It will support the implementation of the Talent Partnership, focusing on building skills and addressing training needs in sectors that are of interest both to Bangladesh and the EU, in view of facilitating mobility to EU countries.

The programme will enhance access to information on labour markets, provide concrete support by means of vocational and professional training as well as language and soft skills training, and facilitate the recognition and validation of skills. It will also reinforce key Bangladeshi legal migration stakeholders, including government agencies, the private sector and civil society organisations, involved in the implementation of the partnership.

The Talent Partnership with Bangladesh is designed to identify common needs and joint actions and transform the risk of “brain drain” into a “brain gain” for all partners. It offers a strategic and sustainable cooperation framework, enabling the EU and its Member States and Bangladesh to develop a coherent set of actions on labour mobility and skills development. In June 2021, the Commission launched Talent Partnerships to help address skill shortages in the EU and strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships on migration with non-EU countries.

The Commission is currently developing Talent Partnerships with four other partner countries – Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, and Tunisia – and several EU Member States. At the launching ceremony, Ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley said the signed “Talent Partnership with Bangladesh” will benefit migrants and their families economically.

He said the partnership will also improve overall migration management, increase labour force skills, and strengthen Bangladesh’s capacity for cooperation with countries of destination outside the EU, including the reduction of irregular migration.

Acting Foreign Secretary Md Nazrul Islam said that Bangladesh is confident that the 'talent partnership' project will significantly contribute towards upgrading of technical and vocational training with a view to enhancing workers' employability and competitiveness not only for EU Member States but also for the global market. He assured that the relevant ministries, departments, and agencies of the government of Bangladesh will extend all possible cooperation to make the project a grand success.