Sisi affirms necessity of dealing with refugees influx

CAIRO: 14 January 2019: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has stressed the importance of dealing with the phenomenon of refugees influx and all kinds of human displacement by addressing their main causes and dimensions related to the development and political and security stability.

Sisi's remarks came on Monday during his meeting with Commissioner of UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi in the presence of Director of Egyptian General Intelligence Abbas Kamel, Presidential spokesman Ambassador Bassam Rady said.

President Sisi commended cooperation ties with the UNHCR for decades, valuing the international efforts exerted by the UN agency in light of the growing refugee crisis.

Sisi, during the meeting, also pointed out that Egypt bears heavy burdens as a destination for the refugees in terms of its commitment to the international conventions which stipulate providing a good life for the refugees.

The president noted that Egypt did not receive any international support to ease the burden and pressures from hosting the refugees in the country.

Grandi, for his part, asserted the UNHCR's keenness on boosting cooperation with Egypt, stressing its pivotal role on the regional and international arenas.

The UN official appreciated Cairo's efforts to host a large number of refugees from various nationalities and treating them as citizens as well as its success in halting illegal immigration from its shores for more than two years.