Cairo, 22 June 2019 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Egypt, in close cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower (MoM), conducted a training of trainers (ToTs) for officials on domestic work and migrant domestic workers with the scope of preventing and addressing issues of exploitation, abuse and violation of the rights to access favorable conditions to work. The training was attended by 23 Ministry officials from five governorates—Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Beheira, and Gharbiya—and was opened by the Minister of Manpower, H.E. Mohamed Saafan, who stated: “The Government of Egypt has adopted a comprehensive strategy to deal with the irregular migration phenomenon, through security and legislative measures, and importantly the provision of employment opportunities for Egyptian youth.” The training was developed and conducted by IOM and an Egyptian expert with a focus on elements of first aid, safety, and ethical workplace standards in order to enhance the participants’ knowledge and ability in the specific sector.

Mr. Laurent De Boeck, Chief of Mission of IOM to the Arab Republic of Egypt, delivered the opening statement: “The Ministry of Manpower is an important and influential actor in the partnership between IOM and the Government of Egypt to address irregular migration and human trafficking through enhancing the employability of Egyptian and non-Egyptian vulnerable groups. These efforts are reflected in the Government’s powerful strategy against trafficking in persons, smuggling, and irregular migration, and IOM looks forward to continued partnership with this Ministry and the Government at large in dealing with these international issues”.

This training was conducted within the framework of the “Positive Life Alternatives for Egyptian Youth At-Risk of Irregular Migration” (PLAYA) program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and supports the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, namely Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals. It is also in-line with the objectives of the social and economic dimensions of the Sustainable Development Strategy 2030 of the Government of Egypt and contributes to the implementation of the 2016-2021 National Strategy on Combatting and Preventing Trafficking in Persons.

For more information, please contact Omar Awwad at IOM Egypt, Tel: +20 1032 049 144; Email: oawwad@iom.int