Bangladesh tops sea arrivals to Italy
The number of Bangladeshis crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Italy doubled in the first two months this year compared to the same period last year.
According to the latest data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 2,589 Bangladeshis landed in Italian shores in January and February this year while 1,206 went to the European country in the two months last year.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The sharp rise has alarmed migration experts, who warn that the trend reflects both deep-rooted socio-economic challenges at home and the lure of dream jobs there.
"All of them embarked from Libya," said the UNHCR's February edition of the Italy Sea Arrivals Dashboard, which was published on Thursday.
Libya has long served as a gateway for human smuggling networks operating in North Africa.
February alone saw 1,383 Bangladeshis arrive in Italy, up from 1,206 in January. In contrast, only 585 Bangladeshis arrived in January last year and 621 in February that year.
With this surge, Bangladesh became the top nationality arriving in Italy by sea between January and February this year.
Regarding this trend, Asif Munier, a Dhaka-based labour migration specialist, told The Daily Star, "This is not just a migration issue. It's a reflection of growing despair."
"Many young Bangladeshis are unemployed or underemployed. Those who cannot migrate through legal channels -- mostly young people -- take risky routes in hopes of a better future. But most of them fall into the trap of brokers who sell them dreams of Europe."
The journey to Europe typically begins with travel to Libya -- often through legal or semi-legal means -- and ends in a hazardous sea crossing arranged by transnational trafficking networks.
These trips can cost from Tk 5 to 8 lakh, with the migrants funding the journey through loans, land sales, or support from relatives abroad.
"They risk their lives believing that once they land in Italy, the government there won't deport them and will grant them temporary stay permits, as Italy is considered a migration-friendly country," Asif added.
Bangladeshi migrants have long been vulnerable to trafficking, especially in North African transit hubs like Tripoli, Zuwara, and Sabha.
Talking to this correspondent, Shakirul Islam, chairman of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme, an organisation working for the welfare of migrant workers, said, "The brokers now use social media and encrypted messaging apps to recruit. These migrants are promised jobs in Europe but end up trapped in Libya for months -- sometimes even years."
Once at sea, their journey remains fraught with danger. Overcrowded boats, engine failures, and the lack of life-saving equipment often lead to mass drownings.
Although no major incidents involving Bangladeshi migrants have been reported so far in 2025, rights groups fear the risks remain high.
Despite these dangers, the number of Bangladeshis making this journey continues to rise, said Shakirul.
He urged the government to step up awareness campaigns in high-migration districts like Madaripur, Cumilla, and Brahmanbaria, and to take stronger legal action against trafficking networks operating within Bangladesh.
"As no traffickers have been brought to justice, the network is operating more actively."
Shariful Hasan, associate director of the BRAC Migration Programme and Youth Platform, pointed to the limited scope of safe, regular migration pathways, inadequate reintegration programmes for returnees, and a persistent culture of migration idealism.
"The solution lies in education, skill-building, and economic opportunity at home -- not just arrests and deportations. Until we give youth a reason to stay, they'll keep risking everything for a future that often doesn't exist.
"This is not a dream journey; it's a death journey. Around 93 percent of these migrants end up trapped in detention camps in Libya -- some lose their lives, and others' families must pay ransoms of up to Tk 30 lakh."
Shariful noted that they have identified three main regions -- Madaripur, Sylhet, and surrounding districts of Dhaka -- from where many are making this dangerous journey.
"It is heartbreaking that most of the migrants and their families are aware of the brutal conditions they'll face in Libya -- detention, abuse, extortion --yet they still go, hoping Italy will be different," he said.
Shariful stressed the need for awareness among family members and called for both national and international joint operations to arrest trafficking network members.
"This route is not only being used by desperate people from Syria and Libya, but also by human traffickers exploiting it for illegal migration."
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