On 8 July 2024, 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. 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 “Supporting a Talent Partnership with Bangladesh,” with a budget of EUR 3 million, 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.
Background
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.
As announced in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, Talent Partnerships aim to provide a comprehensive policy framework, as well as funding support, to enhance legal pathways to the EU while engaging strategic partner countries on migration management. They are also an important tool to deliver on the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, launched in November 2023, demonstrating the EU’s firm commitment to tackle transnational crime and reduce the risks to which migrants are exposed during these perilous journeys to the EU.
Next steps
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.
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Details
- Publication date
- 8 July 2024
- Author
- Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs