EU commissioner meets Egypt's El-Sisi over migration crisis

Ahram Online , Tuesday 5 May 2015

Avramopoulos is in Egypt a day after German Foreign Minister's visit to Cairo

migrants
A Libyan Navy boat carries migrants back to the coastal city of Misrata May 3, 2015 (Photo: Reuters)

European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship meets Egypt’s president on Tuesday as talks continue among European and African leaders over illegal migration to Europe.

Dimitris Avramopoulos has arrived in Egypt to meet Abd El-Fattah El-Sisi a day after German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Schteinmeier’s visited with El-Sisi in Cairo to discuss the same issue.

Schteinmeier said Egypt urgently needed to protect and monitor its borders, adding that Berlin provides technical assistance to Egypt to achieve these goals.

The number of people from Africa risking the sea journey to Europe in search of a better life have continued to rise two weeks after as many as 900 people drowned in the worst Mediterranean shipwreck.

Around 6,800 migrants were rescued from overcrowded boats crossing to Europe over the weekend.

Many Egyptians have also risked the dangerous journey to Europe via boat in search of better jobs as unemployment and low incomes persist at home.
 

 
 
 
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