Greece parliament okays manpower import from Bangladesh

Greek Parliament on Thursday approves a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Bangladesh and Greece to hire 4,000 workers from Bangladesh every year.

The country also decided to regularize 15 to 18 thousand Bangladeshi expatriates, according to a press statement by Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.

"With this Parliamentary approval, the process of implementation of the legal framework is expected to start soon." The statement read.

The MoU signed on 9 February this year is the first such deal for Bangladesh with any European country.

According to the MoU, Greece will hire seasonal Bangladeshi workers in the agricultural sector. The range of sectors might be expanded later through discussions between the countries.

The hired workers will be given a temporary work permit for five years, reads a press statement issued by the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment on 9 February..

At present, around 80,000 Bangladeshi expatriates are living in Greece, according to an unofficial estimate. Many of them are undocumented.

Earlier, a letter of intent was signed by both countries regarding the matter last November.