Hommam Al Nassim 
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed his country’s keenness to adopt a comprehensive approach to confront the phenomenon of illegal immigration.
Shoukry pointed out that the approach that Egypt will adopt is not limited to the security aspects only, but also takes into account the developmental aspects related to migration to deal with the root causes that lead to it.
During his meeting with IOM Director-General Amy Pope, Shoukry expressed Egypt’s aspiration to strengthen bilateral cooperation for comprehensive migration management and sustainable development, in accordance with the objectives of the International Compact for Migration.
Shoukry explained that Egypt is facing increasing flows of migrants who have been forced to leave their country in search of stability, whether as a result of conflicts, economic reasons, or the repercussions of climate change, which is clearly reflected in the sharp increase in the number of migrants to Egypt.
Shoukry urged the International Organization for Migration to play its role in providing the necessary support to Egypt, to enable it to bear the burdens of providing a decent life for its migrants, pointing out that the phenomenon of migration coincides with a period in which the Egyptian economy suffers from the consequences of global crises.
Shoukry stressed the importance of crystallizing the priorities of the organization’s work in consultation with the governments of developing countries, which bear great burdens in migration governance, praising the existing cooperation with the organization to promote ways of legal labor transfer and fill gaps in labor markets, in the interest of countries of origin, destination and migrants alike.
In turn, the UN official stressed the organization’s readiness to provide support to Egypt, in order to enhance its capacity to care for refugees, in cooperation with the ministries of social solidarity and health.
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