Egypt, EU Hold First Steering Committee to Support Refugees & Combat Irregular Migration

The Ministry of International Cooperation, the EU delegation in Egypt, and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa held the first steering committee for the “ERMCE” project.

The “Enhancing the Response to Migration Challenges in Egypt (ERMCE)” project is worth a total of 63.6 million euros, 60 million euros as a grant from the European Union, and 3.500 million euros from other contributors.

The objectives of the project are to enhance Egypt’s migration management; address the root causes of irregular migration; and support Egyptian communities hosting migrants and refugees.

During the meeting, a number of projects were reviewed to open the door for further opportunities to expand the projects.

Promoting urban development through integrated and participatory approaches that put communities is regarded as a high priority by the Egyptian government, as cities play a significant role in fostering inclusive and sustainable development through creating better living conditions for all.

The project "Capacity Building through Urban Infrastructure Development (CBUID)" is implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) under the supervision of the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, and the Urban Development Fund, worth a total of 20.5 million euros (17 million euros from the European Union and 3 5 million euros from Germany) in the governorates of Beheira, Alexandria, and Assiut.

As Sharkia is regarded as one of the top-ten Governorates in Egypt that boast the largest number of Egyptian youth who wish to leave Egypt and illegally migrate to other countries.

The "Multi-Educational Programme for Employment Promotion in Migration-affected Areas (MEPEP)” was implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) office in Cairo under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and Technical Education and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, worth a value of 6 million euros.

The project "Tackling root causes of irregular migration and supporting integrated communities in Upper Egypt" was implemented by Plan International under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the National Council for Motherhood and Childhood, worth a value of 1,100 million euros in the governorates of Sohag and Assiut.

Contributed by Israa Farhan