Cairo, 18 April 2019 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Egyptian Ministry of State for Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates' Affairs (MoSEEA) signed an implementation agreement to establish a Project Coordination Unit (PCU) within the Ministry. The PCU will ensure effective coordination with IOM in light of the expansion of the expatriate engagement and migration governance portfolio. The PCU supports the achievements of IOM’s “Initiatives for Local Development of Egypt through the Support of Egyptians Abroad” (ILDEA) project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (IADC).

Mr. Laurent De Boeck, IOM Egypt’s Chief of Mission, thanked all the partners involved in the fruitful collaboration and stated that IOM will support the Ministry in expanding and sustaining the activities of the PCU within the framework of the policy on migration governance and the engagement of expatriates in development. 

IOM Egypt’s Chief of Mission also praised the role of MoSEEA in fostering dialogue and development through engaging expatriates in numerous successful conferences, including the conference with Egyptian Associations to be held this year, and the flagship initiative Nostos, which was first launched in May 2018. This initiative has supported cultural exchanges and trade cooperation among the Egyptian, Greek and Cypriot expatriate communities.

H.E. Nabila Makram, Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs noted that MoSEEA aims to involve Egyptian expatriates in local developmental projects with special focus on governorates with high rates of irregular migration. H.E. Makram also stressed that the PCU will allow more cooperation in the plans and strategies developed by the Ministry to the Egyptian Expatriates abroad.

The activity is part of the ILDEA project, which supports the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), namely Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities and Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals. It also supports the realization of Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy: Egypt Vision 2030.

For more information, please contact Omar Awwad at IOM Egypt, Tel: +2 02 2736 5140/1 Email: oawwad@iom.int