Participants in the seminar of Ambassador Naela Gabr, Chairperson of the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIMTIP), about “Egyptian Efforts to Combat and Prevent Illegal Immigration and Human Trafficking”, put forward solutions to these problems. Among these effective solutions are: enhancing and supporting technical and vocational education, including qualifying and preparing the Egyptian worker to best represent his country when he carries out legal immigration, as well as raising the awareness of the Egyptian people, which contributes to changing its popular culture calling for the adoption of illegal immigration as a solution to the problems. This is in conjunction with strengthening security coordination measures at the internal and external levels, and combating the issue of overpopulation, which has many negative repercussions and pressures in this regard.

This came during ECFA’s hosting of Ambassador Naela Gabr. The meeting was opened by Ambassador Dr. Mounir Zahran, ECFA Chairman, and ambassadors, Dr. Ezzat Saad, ECFA Director, Mohamed Mounir, Mohamed Tawfiq, Farouk Mabrouk, Adel Al-Salousi, Gilan Allam, and a number of researchers interested in the Egyptian affairs, on December 21, 2021. The meeting indicated that Egypt is expected to be a destination country par excellence, during the coming period, since it is safe, compared to the countries of the region, such as: Syria, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia…etc. At the present time, it can be said that the danger comes mainly from the countries south of Egypt. Therefore, we must strive to prepare plans that determine how to deal with those arriving from these countries, as well as activating additional programs to combat illegal immigration with donors; the arrival of more immigrants to the country will have repercussions on its economy and demography…etc. According to official statistics, there are now about 6 million foreign residents in Egypt, including 250,000 refugees.

Ambassador Gabr pointed out that Egypt is the only country that did not return a single legal immigrant to his country, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and represents a distinguished model for assuming responsibility in this regard. The meeting indicated that more efforts must be made in order to eliminate all forms of illegal immigration in which Egyptians in particular engage. According to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency “FRONTEX”, 4,204 illegal Egyptian immigrants were monitored within European territories, over the months of September and October 2021, by entering through the Libyan or Turkish borders, as well as through educational and health trips…etc. The meeting also referred to the competences of the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons, the bodies that comprise it, its achievements, and its success factors.