Egypt welcomes people from crisis-hit countries, and they will not be regarded as refugees, said Minister of State for Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates' Affairs Nabila Makram on Monday.

They will also enjoy the same health and education benefits available to Egyptian citizens, Makram added. 

Makram made her remarks during her speech at the Model Union for the Mediterranean (MUfM) session, held as part of the ongoing World Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh under the theme "Ancient Humanitarian Civilisations and Shared History".

The minister touched upon the "Roots Revival" initiative, launched by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi during his visit to Cyprus in November 2017.

The initiative is meant to boost people's diplomacy between Egypt, Greece and Cyprus by shedding light on the lives of Greek and Cypriot communities who used to live in Egypt decades ago.

The initiative's fourth round will be launched within a few days, Makram revealed, noting that it will target children of Egyptian expats to get them acquainted with their homeland and the criteria used to define Egypt's national security.

Meanwhile, renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass shed light on archaeological cooperation with Union for the Mediterranean member states through 240 foreign archaeological missions operating in Egypt.

The four-day World Youth Forum kicked off on Saturday.