EU fosters relations with Egypt to curtail migrant numbers

Cairo - September 19 (SEE): Euobserver.com quoted an EU source in Brussels that the EU wants to deepen relations with Egypt because it succeeded in sealing off its borders to refugees and migrants.

"This is a partner which is taking its responsibility seriously, a partner we can work with in the context of migration even more," he told reporters.

• Tusk with Egypt's president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says only around 30 people were reported to have arrived from Egypt to Greece and Italy this year, as of the end of March.

The EU wants to see similarly low figures from all north African states - in an effort to further curb an already sharp decline of overall arrivals in Italy, Greece and Spain.

Although fewer refugees and migrants are landing on European shores compared to 2017, the risk of death has since multiplied given the crackdown on NGO charity boats operating near Libya.

Tunisia is now considered the main point of departure from northern Africa to Italy, given the drop of people leaving from Libya. Many of the departees are Tunisians.