Staff Correspondent

The VFS Global is facilitating brokers to give appointments to visa seekers in exchange for a hefty sum after tactfully creating an artificial crisis. Taking advantage, brokers are taking Tk50,000-100,000 from each worker for an appointment, according to a recent media investigation.

Ripon Sardar, a Bangladeshi expatriate living in Dubai, obtained a Hungarian work permit for his younger brother. He said there are only 15 days left for the work permit to expire, but they have not yet got an appointment for a visa. “I am preparing to lodge a suit against VFS Global with a Hungarian court,” he said.

Hema Rani Das of Jashore will go to her husband, now living in Hungary. In December last year, after a long wait, her spouse managed the necessary documents and got approval to take Hema to the European country. But since then, he has started counting days as Hema has been waiting for a visa appointment till now. She has been shuttling between her home and the office of VFS Global in Dhaka for six months.

A resident of Chandpur, Nazrul alleged that he submitted a visa application to the VFS Global office in Dhaka five months ago and was informed later that he was not granted the visa for Hungary.

Nazrul inquired about the matter at the Hungarian Embassy in Delhi and came to know that his application was not at all submitted to the embassy.

Apart from this, Mohsin of Dhaka’s Dohar, Jashim of Cumilla and Jahid of Bogura echoed the harassment one has to endure for getting appointments for Hungarian and Italian visas through the VFS Global office.

Recruiting agency owners said visa appointments are available from VFS Global in exchange for money.

Ehsanul Azim, owner of recruiting agency Global Jobs, said individuals find no appointment date available when they approach VFS Global for Hungary visas. However, there is a syndicate that manages appointments after receiving money from the visa seekers.

There are also instances of getting appointments by paying Tk1.10 lakh to Tk1.20 lakh by each individual to the VFS Global-centric syndicate. And in this way, the syndicate is looting hundreds of crores of taka. In the worst case, this syndicate gives false appointments as well, he said.

Many people lose their visas due to non-availability of appointments and false appointments, Azim added.

There are complaints that VFS Global employees also arrange appointments for Italian visas in exchange for money.

Tahamina International Travels and Tours proprietor Syed Zakir Hossain Babul said they could not submit documents related to the Italian work permits – obtained in April – to the VFS Global office, but many others could do so even after obtaining the work permits in May.

“Everything is possible if you give money here. We have evidence of such irregularities,” he said.

Dhaka International Overseas proprietor Ali Akkas Apan said visa seekers or expatriates feel uncertain about appointments after submitting their documents to the VFS Global office. “Those who can pay money are getting appointments fast. We want to do business honestly and get relief from the harassment of the VFS Global,” he added.

In a recent visit, it was seen that there was a nuisance of brokers near the VFS Global office at Nafi Tower in Gulshan-1 of the capital. The brokers charge huge money from each application through their unique capacity. A broker can book appointment slots for 1 to 400 people without any OTP (One-Time Password).

Italian language instructor Mushfiqur Rahman Mukul said many of his language learners face difficulties getting appointments for work permit visas from VFS Global.

The victims claimed that VFS Global has created an artificial crisis in online appointments since the emergence of brokers in the black market in early 2023.

“I spent a lot of money on a work permit. However, I couldn’t submit the passport application. Four months of the six-month validity of the work permit have already passed. When I approached VFS officials, they didn’t pay any heed to this,” said Anwar Hossain, an applicant from Keraniganj.

Italian human rights activist Advocate Imam Hossain Ratan said VFS Global cannot avoid the responsibility for the suffering the applicants undergo due to the mismanagement of appointments.

“The Italian Embassy doesn’t maintain the matter of appointment. There’s really no way for VFS Global to avoid the responsibility for this mismanagement,” he said.

BRAC Migration Programme Head Shariful Hasan said whoever caused such suffering should be held accountable. “Italy is a big labour market for Bangladesh. But we see long time is needed to get a visa. Apart from this, we also see reports of fraudulence at times. As a result, our employees are suffering. To bring an end to this, we need to reduce the hassle in getting appointments first,” he said.

Contacted, VFS Global Country Head Santanu Bhattacharya said the appointment is made through the email system. “Appointments are being given gradually to those who have sent work visas through emails. In the meantime, more than 4,000 emails have been sent,” he said.

Chaos, mismanagement engulf Italian visa centre

Meanwhile, chaos and protests have become a daily occurrence at the VFS Global visa centre in Dhaka’s Gulshan-1, as hundreds of applicants, waiting for visas for European destinations, gather to obtain their documents.

Visa seekers allege that a network of company officials and brokers has been causing them suffering through misleading information and irregularities.

During a visit on Sunday, around 300 visa seekers were observed arriving at the VFS Global visa centre located in Nafi Tower in Gulshan within three hours. Of these individuals, about 90% came because they failed to secure a visa appointment through the online booking system.

As chaos erupted, company officials called the angry visa seekers inside and gave various assurances. However, the visa aspirants claimed that the dream of flying to European countries, especially Italy, has now turned into a nightmare due to the non-cooperation of VFS Global officials.

Many applicants who requested appointments at least two months in advance by email did not receive a date. Some arrived eight to nine months after submitting their visa applications without receiving their passports or visas.

They alleged that due to the non-cooperation from VFS, many people interested in going abroad are disappointed. They believe that with better cooperation from VFS, it would be possible to earn more foreign currency for the country.

This reporter spoke to several people who have not received their visas or passports, even though it has been almost nine months since they applied. One of them is Ali Hossain from Kishoreganj.

Ali said that he applied for the visa on 26 September last year. Even after nine months, it still shows ‘processing’ online.

Apart from that, he is not getting any information about his visa. His relatives live in Italy, and he has applied for a sponsor visa through them. VFS officials could not provide him with any information.