In Madaripur, Italy's ambassador says Italy will take a tougher stance against irregular migration, trafficking and smuggling
Italy's ambassador to Bangladesh, Antonio Alessandro, has said Italy will take a tougher stance to prevent irregular migration, human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Italy wants to encourage people to go abroad through legal routes instead of risking their lives travelling by sea via Libya to enter Europe, he said, adding that the media and journalists can play an important role in this.
The Italian ambassador made the remarks on Thursday (29 October) at a training workshop for journalists working in different media outlets in Madaripur and Shariatpur, held at Mostafapur in Madaripur.
The workshop on safe migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and sustainable reintegration was organised under the 'Protyasha-2' project, jointly funded by the European Union and BRAC. A total of 61 journalists from the two districts took part.
Joining the workshop online from Dhaka, Ambassador Antonio Alessandro said going abroad is not the only path to success in life. The opportunities to build a respectable life while staying in the country must be presented to people, he said.
He advised people not to rely on brokers for migration, but to verify information through government agencies and reliable institutions before making a decision.
Addressing the journalists, the Italian ambassador further said media reporting on migration is extremely important. Alongside ensuring protection for victims of human trafficking, investigative reports on the activities of trafficking rings must be published. Through this, it is possible to make people aware, identify the criminals and raise public awareness about the risks of irregular migration.
Also speaking at the workshop were Laura Cartanya Iach, first secretary of the European Union office in Bangladesh, senior programme manager Nurul Kader, Giuseppe Di Giovanni, migration attaché at the Italian embassy in Dhaka, Madaripur additional superintendent of police Jahangir Alam, BRAC associate director Shariful Hasan, 'Probas Kotha' editor Munzurul Karim and Supreme Court lawyer Salauddin Rasel.
