Good News For Bangladeshis Seeking Malta Job As New Visa Office Set To Open
Bangladeshi nationals seeking to work in Malta could soon be allowed to do so, with a Maltese visa office set to open in their country.
Up until recently, prospective Bangladeshi workers had to travel to neighbouring India to submit their work visa applications at the Malta High Commission of India.
However, last May, the Commission suddenly informed Bangladeshis that visa applications have been postponed until further notice, a decision that is believed to have been the result of an order by the Indian government.
Bangladeshi media house The Daily Industry has now reported that Malta will open a visa office in Dhaka in the near future to resolve the issue.
Asud Ahmed, Bangladesh’s non-resident ambassador to Malta, confirmed that the embassy is working to help untangle the visa problem.
Earlier this month, Malta’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh Reuben Gauci travelled to Dhaka to hold meetings with a number of high-ranking Bangladeshi officials, including Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Home Secretary Akhter Hossain.
The suspension of Maltese visa applications, with no reason given, had bitterly disappointed several Bangladeshis, who had been approved for a job in Malta by their employer and Identity Malta but whose dreams of moving to the island were left hanging in the balance due to visa issues.
“I left my job in Bangladesh when I received my Maltese work permit in February,” a man called Rofiq told Lovin Malta last month.
“I submitted all my documents on 21st February at the High Commission in Malta but after three months and 15 days, they have sent me back my passport without any results. I have lost my job and wasted my money and don’t know the reason or what to do next.”
The High Commission in India faced a major gridlock in visa applications in recent months, prompting Identity Malta to rope in 40 employees to deal with the load.
Cover photo: Left: Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen with Malta’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh Reuben Gauci (Photo: High Commission of Malta in India), Right: Bangladeshi nationals gathering at the VFS offices in New Delhi in the hope of receiving some information
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