EU ready to support Egypt in curbing "illegal immigration" - official

The European Union is ready to further support Egypt in curbing "illegal" immigration, Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commissioner for Promoting the European Way of Life told Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on March 26.

During his official visit to Egypt, Schinas discussed with Shoukry the means of organising a trained workforce from Egypt to Europe to reduce "illegal" immigration, the official spokesperson to Egypt's Foreign Ministry Ambassador Ahmed Abou Zeid said in a statement, according to The New Arab.

Schinas described in a tweet his discussions with the Egyptian officials as being "fruitful… talks on enhancing …partnership for migration and mobility."

"The EU and Egypt share a robust partnership, which we will continue to develop and support," he wrote in another tweet.

Shoukry asked for European support in controlling the flow of "illegal" immigration across its borders.

Egypt hosts about nine million refugees and immigrants; many of them came from war-torn neighbouring Arab countries, especially Syria.

In recent years, the Egyptian authorities have intensified efforts to curtail the flow of "irregular" migration to Europe, allowing no boats carrying migrants to leave Egyptian coasts.

The meeting of the two top diplomats came a few months after Egypt had signed an agreement with the EU on the first phase of an 80-million-Euro border management programme to help reduce "illegal" immigration and trafficking of persons across its borders.

Meanwhile, Shoukry and Schinas tackled the means of boosting economic relations and how the EU can provide political support to promising projects. In 2021, Egypt signed an agreement with a number of northern Mediterranean countries on carrying out a power linkage project

The two officials further vowed to continue close coordination in security during the upcoming co-chairmanship of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) due in May.