On 9 September 2024, Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Badr Abdelatty, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates, met in Cairo and they discussed ways to further deepen the cooperation between the European Union and Egypt in the field of migration.
They highlighted the successful longstanding partnership in the field of migration which is currently being strengthened following the signature of the Joint Political Declaration on the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership on 17 March 2024, with migration and mobility as one of its six pillars.
They stressed the importance of promoting their holistic approach in dealing with the migration phenomena in line with the Joint Declaration, including through linking migration to development, and addressing the root causes of irregular migration.
The European Commissioner for Home Affairs welcomed Egypt's successful efforts in preventing irregular migration and controlling its borders, including preventing the departure of vessels carrying irregular migrants from Egypt through the Mediterranean Sea since September 2016, and conducting search and rescue operations to save lives at sea. Commissioner Johansson also welcomed Egypt's efforts in managing migration, and combating cross-border criminal networks involved in trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling. Both sides emphasised the importance of cooperation to enhance border management and combating criminal networks involved in trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling, including cooperation in the framework of the Global Alliance to counter migrant smuggling launched by the EU, through ongoing practical cooperation.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates of Egypt stressed the importance of facilitating pathways for regular migration and increasing awareness of the dangers of irregular migration, as well as enhancing cooperation with a view to developing education, vocational and technical training to improve skills and employability, creating job opportunities and facilitating mobility to the EU, including in the framework of the Talent Partnership initiative.
Both sides agreed to continue supporting the priorities included in Egypt's third national strategy to combat and prevent human trafficking (2022-2026) and the national strategy to prevent illegal emigration (2016-2026) and the action plans pertaining to it.
Both sides emphasised Egypt's longstanding role in hosting large numbers of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, adopting an out-of-camp policy and providing basic services. The European Commissioner for Home Affairs expressed appreciation for the efforts that Egypt exerts for hosting over nine million migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from different nationalities, and acknowledged the related burden, while stressing the continued support of the European Union to Egypt's efforts in this regard, including through supporting the Egyptian Governments' endeavors to enhance the provision of services to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, and to strengthen the resilience of host communities, in addition to exploring resettlement opportunities as well as safe and legal pathways to the European Union for refugees hosted in Egypt, in line with the principle of burden and responsibility sharing.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to the protection of the human rights of migrants and refugees in accordance with their obligations under international law including international human rights law.
The two sides explored the prospects of enhanced cooperation between Egyptian national authorities and European Union Home Affairs agencies such as the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), and the EU Drugs Agency (EUDA).
The two sides also discussed issues related to facilitating the dignified and sustainable return, readmission and reintegration of Egyptian citizens irregularly staying in the EU. They also discussed how to increase support to voluntary returns of irregular migrants from Egypt to their countries of origin. They agreed on continuing coordination and exchange of best practices for the implementation of bilateral agreements concerning return, readmission and reintegration, while Egyptian embassies and consulates abroad continue to facilitate the return of Egyptian citizens irregularly staying in the EU after accurately and timely verifying their identity and issuing travel documents for them, where needed, and abiding by the relevant national procedures, along with the support of the EU to activities conducted under "The Fund for Combating Illegal Migration and the Protection of Migrants and Witnesses", pertaining to the return and reintegration of Egyptian nationals.
