Egypt chaired a meeting of the Khartoum Process in Helsinki on 11 and 12 September. The Khartoum Process is a dialogue and cooperation mechanism that brings together European Union (EU) member states, East African countries that are key transit routes for migration across the central Mediterranean to the EU, the European Commission, and the African Union Commission.
The meeting focused on developing a comprehensive approach to harnessing migration for development, with particular emphasis on the role of women and youth migrants. Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptians Abroad, currently holding the presidency of the Khartoum Process, led the discussions. All member states participated, exploring best practices for engaging migrants in development efforts both in their destination countries and their countries of origin.
Wael Badawi, Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Refugees, Migration and Combatting Human Trafficking at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, said the meeting provided an opportunity to inform participating countries about Egypt’s efforts to support legal migration pathways while preserving the connections of Egyptian migrants with their homeland.
He highlighted Egypt’s efforts to facilitate migrants’ involvement in development efforts in Egypt, their participation in electoral processes, their representation in the House of Representatives, and the safeguarding of their rights in their destination countries.
Several delegations from both Europe and Africa expressed appreciation for Egypt’s progress in developing programs to maintain connections between Egyptian migrants abroad and their homeland. This meeting marks the first in a series of activities under Egypt’s presidency of the Khartoum Process, which aims to address the issue of migration through a comprehensive approach that emphasizes the developmental and humanitarian dimensions alongside the fight against irregular migration.
The Khartoum Process is a platform for political cooperation amongst the countries along the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Europe. It aims at establishing a continuous dialogue for enhanced cooperation on migration and mobility. The process also seeks to support member states in identifying concrete projects to address trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants and other migration-related areas.
