EU, Egypt Committed to Combating Human Trafficking - Ambassador

The European Union Ambassador to Cairo, Christian Berger, confirmed on Sunday that both the EU and Egypt are committed to taking necessary measures against smugglers and human traffickers who put people's lives at risk. In a recorded video message marking the International Day Against Human Trafficking, Berger emphasized that human trafficking and migrant smuggling are global issues that cannot be tackled by any single country or region alone. 

He highlighted the need for effective partnerships between countries, organizations, and agencies to prevent tragic outcomes of such activities from happening again.

Berger revealed that migrant smuggling is a profitable business for criminal networks, estimated to cost several billion Euros worldwide. Smugglers use land, sea, and air routes to facilitate irregular migration to and within the EU region, and this has led to numerous fatalities and gross human rights violations, especially when the smuggling is carried out by sea. 

Berger stressed that the loss of lives at the hands of smugglers in the Mediterranean Sea is a reminder of the urgent need to confront migrant smuggling using all available legal, operational, and administrative means.

Berger also acknowledged the importance of the EU's effective partnership with the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Immigration and Human Trafficking, EU member states, and United Nations agencies in Egypt, which has resulted in joint efforts against human trafficking and migrant smuggling.