Minister of Immigration Nabila Makram Abdel-Shahid received Head of International Organization for Migration (IOM) mission in Egypt Laurent de Bock for discussions to boost cooperation and coordination on the "Survival Boats" initiative to combat illegal immigration in the provinces that are most hit with the phenomenon.
During the meeting, Makram shed the light upon the efforts exerted in in implementing the initiative, and cited her visit to Fayoum Governorate as the first leg in the initiative, where she met with youth, school students and mothers, as the most influential groups in the issue of illegal immigration.
She also mentioned that the ministry aims to organize an event for foreign ambassadors in Egypt in order to introduce the national efforts in the field of combating illegal immigration, as well as reviewing the experiences of other countries in the same regard.
The minister stated that the next leg in the "Survival Boats" initiative is the Beheira governorate, and invited the foreign official to join the visit and take part in the activities to see all the efforts made on the ground.
The initiative was assigned directly by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi at the conclusion of the third edition of the World Youth Forum, with the aim of spreading awareness about the dangers of insecure migration to protect Egyptians.
On his part, Mr. de Bock stressed that the initiative will contribute to creating new prospects for enhancing Egypt image abroad in the issue of combating illegal immigration.
He also clarified that his organization is about to open a center for training and qualifying youth in Beheira governorate soon, which is designed to provide training programs for young people with the aim of educating them about the dangers of illegal immigration, as well as providing cultural and sports programs in this context as well.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the minister agreed with de Bock on the necessity of developing a strategy and a multi-dimensional action plan, which includes holding meetings and organizing seminars and even the participation of other countries to benefit from their experiences, such as Morocco and Indonesia.
She said that she looks forward to making the "Survival Boats" initiative an ideal model for the Egyptian experience globally and to be presented in international forums.
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