Switzerland says keen to develop cooperation with Egypt against irregular immigration

CAIRO – 15 October 2021: Vincenzo Mascioli, director for International Affairs, State Secretariat for Migration, Switzerland, and other Swiss officials affirmed their country’s keenness to develop cooperation with Egypt against irregular immigration.

The Swiss side voiced willingness to support the latter’s efforts against irregular immigration and address the phenomenon’s various dimensions in a meeting with Egypt's Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs Badr Abdel-Aty and other Egyptian officials.

The Swiss side affirmed readiness to cooperate with Egypt in establishing developmental projects to create job opportunities and organizing training programs between the two sides.

The two sides affirmed the importance of intensifying joint efforts to face illegal immigration and discussed starting negotiations to reach an Egyptian-Swiss cooperation agreement in the field of illegal immigration in a way that serves the two countries’ joint interests.

Earlier this week, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called on the Visegrád Group (V4) and other European countries to support Egypt’s efforts against illegal immigration, affirming that Egypt has not allowed any illegal immigration boat to leave its coast toward Europe since 2016.