Amid visa seekers' peaceful demonstration demanding quick delivery of passports with visa, the Italian Embassy in Dhaka on Monday said applicants were warned against submitting forged or false documents, UNB reports.

The Embassy said they are committed to work with the Bangladesh authorities and in partnership with the European Union (EU) for actively preventing irregular flows and promoting legal pathways.

Applicants were reassured that their "nulla osta" will not expire once they have lodged the application or requested an appointment to do so.

The nulla osta is the document issued by Italian immigration authorities which authorizes a non-EU national to apply for a work visa at the Italian embassy/consulate in their country of residence.      

A few hundreds of working visa applicants gathered on Monday morning in Shahabuddin Park in Gulshan 2 asking for a rapid reply to their applications.  

The demonstration was peaceful, said the Embassy, adding that a few representatives of the applicants were received in the Embassy by the Deputy Head of Mission to whom they presented some requests.

During the meeting the Embassy provided legal, technical and logistic explanations for the existing delays in the processing of working visas to Italy.

Applicants were warned not to pay or trust any mediator or intermediary who are the main cause for the current delays, said the Embassy.

The visa seekers also wanted to meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to place their demands for addressing the issue.

Corruption and the production of false or forged documents or statements are serious crimes under both the Italian and Bangladeshi laws, which the Italian Embassy is committed to contrast together with the concerned Bangladeshi authorities, said the Embassy.

Over these regrettable practices, thorough investigations are in due course also in Italy.

bd-pratidin/GR