Egypt in talks to establish Dutch migration center

CAIRO – 11 June 2024: Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expats Soha Gendi met Monday with Ambassador of Netherlands to Cairo Peter Mollema to discuss establishing a Dutch migration center in Egypt within the country's "Survival Boats" initiative that qualifies Egyptian laborers to work in Europe.

Minister Gendi noted that the center would help learn more about the needs of the Dutch labor market, and hence, deliver the suitable training to youth in governorates that used to produce the largest numbers of illegal migrants. On that front, the minister highlighted that no single illegal migrants boat had sailed towards Europe since 2016.

On his side, Ambassador Mollema expressed his country's support to the ongoing measures to elevate the ties between Egypt and the European Union (EU) to the strategic-partnership level. In that context, he commended the investment opportunities in Egypt and incentives offered.

Minister Gendi stated early in May that the Egyptian and Italian governments were in the process of setting up a center for employment and legal migration. The center's mission will be training and qualifying Egyptians to work abroad as well as acquainting them with the laws and culture of the country they are heading to.