Europe, Egypt committed to taking measures against human smugglers: EU official

CAIRO - 30 July 2023: EU ambassador in Cairo Christian Berger said Sunday that the pan-European bloc and Egypt are committed to taking measures against human smugglers who put the lives of people in danger.

Speaking in a video commemorating the UN World Day against Trafficking in Persons, which falls on July 30, Berger said no country can possibly counter this issue alone.

He stressed the need of joint action in this regard, citing the effective partnership between Egypt’s National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIMTIP) and EU member states and UN bodies to prevent related tragic incidents.

Human trafficking is considered a high-profit business for criminal gangs, Berger noted, putting its estimated annual cost at several billion euros worldwide