Under the agreement, Greece allowed undocumented Bangladeshis residing there to apply for legal residence. The application period was from January 11 to December 31, 2023.

To qualify, applicants had to have a Bangladeshi passport valid for at least two years, proof that they were living in Greece before February 9, 2022, and proof that they had a job if they wanted to retain legal status.

Those wishing to take advantage of the opportunity were required to register at the Bangladesh Embassy in Athens first, before proceeding to apply online via the Greek government's website.

The General Directorate of Immigration Policy of the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum provided the yearly statistics under the bilateral agreement between the two nations via email on February 15, in response to a request from Infomigrants.

Also read: Greece approves law granting undocumented migrants residency rights

Thousands of applications pending

According to the information provided by the Greek authorities, a total of 10,337 irregular Bangladeshis applied for regularization in 2023 under the MOU.

Of these, 3,405 Bangladeshi individuals secured residence permits or legal status, despite their undocumented status.

1,009 applications were canceled for various reasons. However, the Bangladesh Embassy in Athens informed Infomigrants on February 21 that those whose applications were rejected could reapply, provided they meet the specified conditions.

Also read: EU forces return of 64 Bangladeshi migrants to Dhaka

In addition to those applying last year, another 113 Bangladeshi migrants had applied to obtain legal residency status by February 15, 2024, from among those who registered with the Bangladesh Embassy in Athens last year.

A further 5,910 applications are currently pending, from migrants who have completed the first step of the procedure but are waiting for confirmation from the Greek authorities regarding their initial residence permit or smart card.

Modernizing the permit system

Greece has introduced numerous measures to discourage unsafe sea migration. "2024 is poised to become the year of legal immigration," said Dimitrios Kyridis, the migration minister, earlier this month.

The government has introduced amendments to simplify the process of obtaining legal status in Greece. Moreover, the migration ministry is working to modernize the administrative framework for issuing residence permits.

"In the initial six months of 2024, four new biometric data collection centers will be established nationwide," announced Kyridis during a recent parliamentary address. Three of these centers will be situated in the capital, Athens, and one in Thessaloniki.

Kyridis emphasized that migrants who enter Greece legally, work legally, and pay taxes, often encounter difficulties when seeking to renew their residence permits.

Furthermore, he unveiled plans to digitize the country's 850,000 immigration documents by the first half of 2026, with the aim of modernizing the administrative process for quicker outcomes.