South Korea bans issuing visas for Bangladeshis

South Korea has imposed a ban on issuing visa for Bangladeshi nationals due to reported increase in Covid-19 positive cases among passengers arriving from Bangladesh. The ban came into effect from yesterday, according to a notice issued by Bangladesh embassy in Seoul on Facebook.

According to diplomatic sources, the Bangladesh embassy issued the notification, after receiving a letter from the Korean foreign affairs ministry yesterday morning.

Earlier, the South Korean embassy in Dhaka in a notice warned Bangladesh authorities concerned in this regard.

The Daily Star published a report in this regard on April 9.

In its notice issued on April 5, the South Korean embassy said, "Covid-19 positive cases are found successively among Bangladeshi nationals, despite having Covid-19 negative certificates. Infection rate increased significantly in the later part of March 2021, which turns out to be a matter of serious concern for the Korean authorities."

South Korea imposed an indefinite ban on visa issuance and flight operations from Bangladesh for the first time on June 23 last year. Through diplomatic efforts, Bangladesh was able to convince the country to lift the ban after eight months on February 8 this year.

After the ban was lifted in February, 17 people in March and another 16 in April reportedly tested Covid-19 positive after they entered South Korea from Bangladesh with Covid-19 negative certificates, according to sources in South Korea.

South Korea is home to about 18,000 Bangladeshis. Although small in number, they have been playing an important role in remittance inflow to the country, because of their high education status and high salaries.

More than a thousand workers have remained stranded at home due to complications regarding visa, after they came home on holiday amid the pandemic, while sending workers under Employment Permit System, Korea's temporary labour migration programme, remains suspended.

The reporter is a freelance journalist writing for The Daily Star.