The Greece–Bangladesh Memorandum of Understanding: Implementation Overview

Feb 13, 2026 | Pathways, Publications

Vasileios Kerasiotis

Lawyer, Athens Bar Association

Sebene Eshete

Editor & Research Lead

Page Contents

Migrant Seasonal Workers in Greek Agriculture: The Manolada Case as a Turning Point

Since the early 1990s, Greece has increasingly relied on migrant labour in agriculture.¹ However, the protection of migrant agricultural workers’ rights in Greece remains a challenge, as these workers face significant barriers to legal and social safeguards, stemming from complex regulatory and enforcement gaps.
A general challenge, affecting all migrant workers in Greece is that of their (continuous) access to legal residency. This access is hindered by significant delays due to fragmented and/or overlapping competences among institutions. This phenomenon, in addition to the general understaffing issue of the public authorities, has led to long processing times, ranging from 3 to 18 months. Such delays create uncertainty for the system as a whole, migrants and employers alike. Focusing on the labour aspect, two more challenges stand out: (a) limited competence of the Labour Inspectorate to carry out effective, large-scale inspections in highly seasonal and dispersed workplaces; and (b) weak enforcement of housing standards for seasonal workers.
These challenges have come to the fore in public debate and policy on account of the emblematic case of Manolada, involving Bangladeshi and Pakistani strawberry workers. In 2013, violent attacks took place against Bangladeshi and Pakistani workers pursuing their withheld wages. After litigation in Greece (where the perpetrators were acquitted), the victims addressed the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which found Greece in violation of Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights (prohibition of forced labour).² However, despite this ruling, testimonies from civil society organisations and journalists, as well as the 2018 fire in workers’ settlements in Manolada, revealed that Greece had not taken sufficient measures to improve the working and living conditions of irregular migrant workers in the area.³
Following the ECtHR ruling, the Greek authorities sought to address the issue of undocumented migrant workers through the then-called ‘Article 13A’ of the Greek Migration Code, adopted in 2016 (law 4384/2016). ‘Article 13A’ centered on the provision of temporary work permits to migrant workers tied to specific employers, albeit without providing lawful residence rights. This approach came under fire from civil society, as it arguably consolidated migrant workers’ dependence on their employers, thereby producing a ‘quasi-legalisation’. This situation affected an estimated 7,000 migrant workers in Manolada alone.⁴

The Greece-Bangladesh Memorandum of Understanding

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed Greece’s dependency on migrant labour in agriculture, as restrictions disrupted the arrival of seasonal workers. In this context, bilateral negotiations between Greece and Bangladesh resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Migration and Mobility between the Government of the Hellenic Republic and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, ratified by the Hellenic Parliament in July 2022 (Law 4959/2022)⁵. It was operationalized via a Joint Ministerial Decision (29 November 2022), which detailed the procedures for applications, residence permits, and employer sponsorship.

Content and Objectives

The MoU works towards two main goals: 1) Addressing labour market needs in Greece, particularly in sectors facing shortages, and 2) Enhancing cooperation on irregular migration, including the safe returns of Bangladeshi nationals.Its provisions include:

Regularisation of 15,000 Bangladeshi nationals already present in Greece, with temporary five-year residence permits.
Admission of 4,000 Bangladeshi workers annually for seasonal employment, with renewable five-year permits allowing nine months of residence per year.
Cooperation on returns, consistent with the 2017 EU- Bangladesh Standard Operating Procedures.The MoU constitutes a turning point in Greece’s migration governance. By introducing multi-entry seasonal visas at the upper limits set by the EU Seasonal Workers Directive (2014/36/EU), Greece created a legal pathway while addressing long-standing labour market irregularities. Its most notable innovation is the provision of temporary residence rights not only to new seasonal migrants but also to irregular Bangladeshi nationals already residing in Greece. The significance of this parameter lies in the fact that lawful residence protects workers from conditions where they can become susceptible to forced labour conditions. The success of the MoU will depend on its implementation, namely on effective administration and employer compliance.

Implementation of the Greece–Bangladesh MoU

Residence Permits

The MoU foresaw the provision of temporary five-year residence permits to 15,000 Bangladeshi nationals already present in Greece. According to official figures provided by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum as of November 21, 2025, 68% of the applications had been approved:

Compared to other residence permit procedures in Greece, this case can be described as relatively simple; the applicants needed to provide three documents to the authorities a) a valid passport b) a job offer and c) proof of residence in Greece before 9/2/2022. Nonetheless, some migrants remained ineligible due to lack of valid passports or official documentation, structural barriers that risk undermining the inclusiveness of the programme. Another challenge was the inconsistent processing of the applications: local migration offices applied rules unevenly, at times requiring extra documents (e.g. rental contracts) that migrants could not obtain as they resided irregularly in the country. Article 20 of Law 5038/2023 imposed a five-year ban on applicants who previously submitted false or incomplete documents, which excluded some eligible Bangladeshi nationals from applying. Finally, the authorities rejected or even revoked permits on the ground of migrants having committed minor offences (e.g. driving without a license, petty trade), giving rise to issues of proportionality.

The Role of the Embassy of Bangladesh

A central feature of the MoU’s implementation has been the involvement of the Embassy of Bangladesh in Athens as a key intermediary actor. The Embassy contributed with several critical functions: verifying the identity of Bangladeshi nationals seeking regularization, certifying passport validity, issuing travel documents for those lacking valid passports, managing lists of eligible citizens, and confirming applicants’ presence in Greece before the cut-off date established by the agreement (9/2/2022). This consular function filled essential documentation and eligibility gaps in the Greek administrative machinery, highlighting the importance of consular infrastructure in bilateral agreements.

Admission of Seasonal Workers

Regarding the admission of up to 20,000 (4,000 per annum) seasonal workers under the Bangladesh–Greece MoU, implementation appears not yet to have fulfilled its potential. Stakeholders report significant practical impediments linked to the consular set-up: while the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi is accredited for Bangladesh and retains processing responsibility, visa applications can be lodged in Dhaka via the external service provider’s Visa Application Center (GVCW). Stakeholders nonetheless report that the New Delhi-centred arrangement has created delays and access barriers for some applicants, as in multiple cases where travel to India is difficult or not feasible.
Greece’s quota decisions have repeatedly allocated seasonal labour places to be filled via the Bangladesh MoU: Joint Ministerial Decision 35400/03-04-2023 (covering 2023–2024) provides that up to 20,000 places are covered through the Egypt bilateral agreement and the Bangladesh MoU, while Cabinet Act 56/23-12-2024 (covering 2025) mentions that up to 9,000 seasonal places must be filled through these frameworks, including up to 4,000 through the Bangladesh MoU. Furthermore, Cabinet Act 4/2025 confirms the continuation of this allocation, further explaining the workforce needs for the current year. At the same time, official data provided to MedMA by MoMA regarding the metaklisi process show 8,496 applications and 6,753 approvals (not arrivals) by Bangladeshi nationals across 2022–2025.⁶ However, the available data do not disaggregate cases by “MoU-specific route” versus standard metaklisi procedures, so it is not possible to confirm how many approvals (if any) correspond specifically to the MoU pathway.

Cooperation on Returns

Similarly, the returns dimension of the MoU did not yield tangible results. One of the key reasons lies in the Memorandum itself, namely the regularization clause of the MoU, which limited the pool of Bangladeshi nationals irregularly residing in Greece. Moreover, around the same time, the Greek Parliament voted for a general regularization program for irregular migrants (Article 193 of Law 5078/2023).
As a result, irregularly residing Bangladeshi migrants were in a position to rely either on the MoU or the regularization scheme under Law 5078/2023 to regularize their status. As the evidence below shows, there is no indication that the MoU led to an increase in the number of returns of Bangladeshi nationals in general.

Fieldwork Survey Findings

In July 2024, field research was conducted in Manolada (Ilia) and in Athens, two areas with significant presence of Bangladeshi migrant populations. The sample consisted of 50 Bangladeshi migrants eligible for regularisation under the Greece–Bangladesh MoU. The data was collected anonymously through interpreters and digital tools (Kobo) to ensure accuracy and confidentiality. The survey explored migrants’ experiences of the regularisation process, changes in daily life, and long-term intentions.

Demographics
All respondents were male, with an average age of 36 years and an average stay in Greece of 5.4 years. Most have close family in Bangladesh (36% parents, 14% spouse + parents, 12% spouse and children).
Legal Status and Regularisation
92% applied for a residence permit under the MoU.
92% of applicants had already received a permit, while 6% were still awaiting decisions after several months.
Before their regularisation, 64% had never held legal residence documents.

Impact of the Regularisation Pillar
72% reported that life became easier after receiving a permit. Benefits included:Reduced anxiety and improved access to health services.
Stronger bargaining position at work.
Ability to travel to Bangladesh to visit family.
Challenges remain: the requirement to spend three months per year outside Greece was described as costly and disruptive to employer relations.

Work and Conditions
64% reported improvements in working conditions after their regularization
However, 48% did not fully know their labour rights.
70% knew they could change employers, but 72% remained with the same employer post-regularisation.
Employment sectors: 60% agriculture, 16% hospitality, 18% other (transport, cleaning).

Future Intentions
98% wished to remain in Greece if residence permits are renewed.
Lack of renewal would push some to consider moving elsewhere in the EU or returning to Bangladesh.
Regularisation has had a tangible positive impact on migrant well-being and labour market integration. Administrative delays and mobility restrictions (mandatory return periods) undermined its efficacy. Migrants’ limited knowledge of labour rights highlights the need for legal support and awareness campaigns.

Overall Impact of the Greece- Bangladesh MoU

The Greece- Bangladesh MoU represents a first attempt by Greece to manage migration and create pathways in collaboration with countries of origin, while aiming at returns. It thus can serve as a test case for a holistic approach to migration management.
Its impact has mostly been substantial in relation to its regularization component. The MoU provided a pathway out of irregularity for thousands of Bangladeshi workers (7,310 permits issued as of November 21, 2025). The regularisation pillar has offered immediate benefits, reducing precarity, improving access to services, and partially aligning the status of migrants with their economic contribution. However, its reach faced certain (systemic) limitations that contained the programme’s inclusiveness.
Importantly, though, it signaled a shift to pragmatic migration governance in Greece, addressing longstanding gaps in the regularization system and labour market integration of migrant workers. It should be noted that this initial regularisation through the Bangladesh MoU was followed by a broader, one-off regularisation scheme through Article 193 of Law 5078/2023, voted in parliament in December 2023, to further address immediate and pressing labour market shortages.
Despite the MoU’s declared intention to facilitate the entry of 4,000 seasonal workers annually, this mechanism remains unimplemented. This delay has been attributed to the absence of a Greek consular presence in Bangladesh. This administrative bottleneck has rendered the labour migration pathway inoperative, preventing the realization of the MoU’s contribution in this domain.

Recommendations

While the regularisation outcome dominates, the MoU’s impact is measured by its ability to transition from ad-hoc solutions to sustained, legal, and safe labour mobility. This includes operational seasonal worker admission provisions, fair returns mechanisms, and migrant protections embedded in bilateral frameworks. For this potential to be realised, policy coherence, administrative capacity, and diplomatic engagement need to be reinforced. The following recommendations are aimed at guiding the design and implementation of more effective and bilateral migration agreements in the future.

To the Government of Greece

Ensure uniform implementation by harmonizing practices by the Decentralised Migration Directorates.
Facilitate administrative procedures: Clarify the requested documents; enhance cooperation with the Bangladeshi Embassy to facilitate verification and contact with the relevant migrant communities.
Review restrictive provisions: Reconsider the five-year exclusion clause under Article 20 of Law 5038/2023, distinguishing between deliberate fraud and errors linked to lack of access to documents.
Enhance administrative capacity: increase staffing levels and provide training to local migration authorities
Promote integration: link permits to orientation programmes, labour rights training, and access to legal counselling.
Enforce employer compliance: Strengthen the mandate of the Labour Inspectorate (SEPE) to perform inspections against undeclared work, ensuring that regularization translates into fair labor conditions.
Assess how mandatory return clauses affect worker stability, employer retention.
Expand consular capacity: establish a dedicated Greek consular presence in Dhaka or significantly strengthen staffing in New Delhi.
Launch information campaigns: provide clear guidance to potential applicants in Bangladesh and Greece on procedures, rights, and obligations under the MoU.

To the European Union

Encourage best practice exchange: integrate lessons from the Greece–Bangladesh MoU into EU discussions on bilateral labour migration agreements.
Support member state capacity: provide funding and technical support for digitalisation, labour inspections, and integration programmes linked to regularisation.