Egypt to Host 2nd Ministerial Meeting of Khartoum Process

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration, Badr Abdelatty, will chair the second ministerial meeting of the Khartoum Process on Wednesday, April 9. 

The gathering, taking place in Cairo, will bring together ministers responsible for migration from the member states of the initiative, which focuses on cooperation and coordination between East African and European countries on migration-related issues.

The Khartoum Process, established in 2014 during a ministerial conference in Rome, aims to address human trafficking and migrant smuggling, but has since broadened its mandate to include a wider range of topics tied to migration. 

These include promoting legal migration pathways, addressing the root causes of migration through development and peacebuilding, and managing issues related to return and reintegration, climate change, and public health impacts on migration.

Egypt, which chaired the Khartoum Process at its launch, resumed the presidency in April 2024. Since then, it has spearheaded various activities to promote dialogue and share best practices in migration management, in line with its national priorities. The upcoming ministerial meeting will serve as the first formal opportunity to evaluate progress made over the past decade and to establish a more structured framework for future cooperation.

The Khartoum Process includes 40 countries, among them all EU member states, Switzerland, Norway, countries from the Horn of Africa and East Africa, as well as international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The European Commission and the African Union Commission also participate as key partners.

Under Egypt’s leadership, the process has seen a significant increase in activity, including the organization of the highest number of events since its inception. The April 9 conference will be a milestone in reinforcing the initiative’s role in international migration governance, encouraging a balanced and inclusive dialogue that reflects the priorities of both African and European countries.

The meeting is expected to inject new momentum into the Khartoum Process, reaffirm Egypt’s commitment to addressing migration in a comprehensive and collaborative manner, and pave the way for future cooperation projects among member states.