Europe job migration surges 46% in H1 amid Gulf slump

Infograph: TBS

Highlights 

• Legal migration to Europe rose 46.4% to 18,220 in the first half of 2026.
• Overseas employment fell 28% as Gulf recruitment dropped 38.2%.
• Italy remained Bangladesh's largest European labour market, hiring 4,645 workers.
• Europe accounted for just 5% of overseas jobs but generated 19.6% of remittances.
• Skills shortages, document fraud and irregular migration remain key barriers to expanding legal migration.

Legal migration from Bangladesh to Europe continued to grow strongly in the first half of 2026 despite a sharp fall in overall overseas employment caused by shrinking recruitment in Gulf countries amid the Iran conflict and tighter Saudi visa restrictions.

According to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), 18,220 Bangladeshis migrated legally to European countries between January and 25 June this year, up 46.4% from 12,445 during the same period in 2025.

In contrast, recruitment to Gulf countries fell by 38.2% to 2,57,967 workers from 4,17,343 a year earlier, dragging down Bangladesh's total overseas employment by around 28% year-on-year.

The growth in Europe follows a sharp rebound in 2025, when legal migration to the continent rose to 33,777 from 22,271 in 2024 after plunging by more than 50% from the previous year's 46,455 workers.

The BMET data suggest that while the Iran conflict and Saudi visa restrictions have severely affected recruitment in the Gulf, demand for Bangladeshi workers in Europe has remained resilient.

The increase has been driven largely by Italy, which has emerged as Bangladesh's largest European labour market following renewed efforts by both governments to promote legal migration and curb human trafficking.

Italy recruited 4,645 Bangladeshi workers during the first six months of 2026, after hiring 9,365 in 2025, compared with only 1,162 in 2024. The country mainly recruits seasonal workers for agriculture and related sectors.

Recruitment has also been rising in Portugal, Serbia, Romania, Russia and Belarus, reflecting Bangladesh's efforts to diversify its overseas labour markets beyond the Gulf.

Following Italy's success, the government has initiated efforts to expand labour migration through bilateral agreements with seven European countries – Serbia, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Portugal and Russia.

The move comes as Bangladesh seeks to reduce its dependence on the Gulf labour market following recent instability in the Middle East. Speaking in Parliament on 15 April, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the government was actively pursuing alternative overseas employment destinations in Europe.

Migration experts described the European growth as an encouraging development at a time when recruitment in the Gulf continues to weaken and Malaysia, once a major destination for Bangladeshi workers, has remained largely closed for nearly two years.

However, they cautioned that Europe still accounts for only a small share of Bangladesh's overseas employment.

Although legal migration to Europe increased significantly, only 18,220 Bangladeshis migrated there during the first six months of this year, representing just over 5% of the country's total overseas employment.

Labour recruiters say the figure remains well below the region's potential.

They argue that Bangladesh is failing to capitalise on Europe's growing labour shortages because of an inadequate supply of skilled workers, low visa approval rates caused by document fraud, and declining confidence among employers in several destination countries.

Employers in Eastern European countries such as Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovenia, as well as Balkan states including Croatia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro, have become increasingly reluctant to recruit Bangladeshi workers, citing concerns that many leave their workplaces and move to higher-paying destinations in Western and Northern Europe.

Eastern Europe, Balkans offer new opportunities

Despite those concerns, labour demand has been increasing in several emerging destinations, including Portugal, Cyprus, Moldova, Belarus, Serbia, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Infinity HCM Ltd, a Bangladeshi recruitment agency specialising in Europe, has sent 37 workers to Moldova this year. The largest group consisted of 19 concrete workers, followed by six paving stone installers and four agricultural workers.

The company says Moldova is seeking skilled workers such as welders, mechanics, heavy equipment operators and drivers, while opportunities also exist for less-skilled workers in construction, agriculture and general labour.

Monthly salaries generally range from around $500 to more than $1,000 depending on skills, occupation and experience.

"Employers are increasingly giving preference to workers who possess practical skills, relevant experience and a willingness to learn. One of the biggest challenges is the shortage of adequately skilled workers who can meet employers' technical requirements," Sharmin Afroz Shumi, chairman of Infinity HCM Ltd, told The Business Standard.

"Another major challenge is the tendency of some workers to migrate illegally to other European countries after arriving at their destination. This has reduced employers' confidence and resulted in stricter recruitment and monitoring procedures," she added.

Europe generates higher remittances despite fewer migrants

The attraction of Europe is reflected not only in legal migration but also in irregular migration.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 24,318 Bangladeshis reached Europe through irregular sea and land routes in 2025, a 59% increase from the previous year.

The trend underscores the strong financial incentives offered by European labour markets.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, Bangladeshi migrants in the United Kingdom alone remitted about $3.5 billion during the first nine months of FY2025-26, compared with $2.6 billion sent from the United Arab Emirates, even though the UAE hosts roughly twice as many Bangladeshi workers.

In 2024, around 9,44,000 Bangladeshi nationals were living in Europe, including 6,52,000 in the United Kingdom, according to IOM. Unofficial estimates suggest the total Bangladeshi population in Europe, including undocumented migrants, has now reached around 1.5 million, compared with more than six million in the Gulf.

Europe accounted for 19.6% of Bangladesh's total remittance inflows during the first nine months of FY2025-26, while Gulf countries contributed 43.4%.

Of the 3,57,650 Bangladeshis who migrated abroad for work until 25 June this year, about 72% went to Gulf countries, compared with just 5% to Europe.

Skills gap and irregular migration remain key obstacles

European countries continue to face labour shortages in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, hospitality and healthcare, creating significant opportunities for Bangladeshi workers.

However, migration experts say Bangladesh risks missing those opportunities unless it improves worker skills and restores employers' confidence.

According to BMET, recruitment to Europe fell sharply in 2024 after several years of steady growth, declining to 22,271 from 46,455 workers in 2023.

"The biggest challenge is the declining confidence of some immigration authorities and employers. Cases where workers have attempted to move illegally to other European countries after arrival have resulted in greater scrutiny of visa applicants from Bangladesh," said Shamima Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary general of Baira.

"In addition, many workers fail to meet employers' expectations regarding technical skills and job performance, affecting future recruitment."

He also noted that visa applications for several European countries are processed through embassies located outside Bangladesh, particularly in India.

"Difficulties in obtaining Indian visas often delay or complicate the recruitment process," he added.