Yesterday, the European Union joined the efforts of the international community to stabilize Egypt with the signing of a new agreement with 7.4 billion euros. Their interest goes beyond the urgency to provide a financial lifeline to the most populous country in the region, the agreement has an additional fundamental objective: curbing irregular immigration. The initiative is in line with the pacts signed with countries such as Turkey and Tunisia and has been received as an opprobrium by pro-human rights organizations, which accuse the EU of “rewarding” and becoming complicit in the abuses of the Government of President Abdul Fattah al-Sissi.
Egypt is currently facing a serious economic crisis resulting from its high debt and the drop in trade in the Suez Canal and tourism as a result of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The International Monetary Fund has just granted it an 8 billion dollar loan and the United Arab Emirates has announced an investment plan in the country valued at 35 billion dollars. The war in Gaza – and the implicit risk of a massive influx of Palestinians if Israel carries out the offensive on Rafah – has only intensified the urgency to close the pact initialed by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Al-Sissi.
The agreement elevates the bilateral relationship between the EU and Egypt to the level of a strategic partnership, a political will backed by 5 billion euros in loans, 1.8 billion for investments, 400 million intended to support major bilateral projects and, finally, 200 million for measures against irregular immigration and support for return policies. This partnership reflects the “critical” nature of the relationship between Egypt and the EU, which will only “increase” due to the economic and political weight of the country and its strategic situation, Von der Leyen declared after signing, who assured that the first objective of the agreement is the promotion of democracy, in addition to supporting economic opportunities and enhancing its role as an energy power in the hydrogen sector, as well as increasing participation in European programs education and research.
The presence of six European leaders yesterday in Cairo “demonstrates how much we value our collaboration with Egypt”, emphasized the president of the Commission. The list of leaders who accompanied her, all conservative or liberal, did not stop growing until the day before the event, which reflects not only the relevance of the bilateral relationship with Egypt, but the desire of some governments to to be active in the face of the migration phenomenon, the main topic of the next European elections in some of these countries.
The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, defined the agreement with Egypt in different terms. “It reaffirms the right of the citizens of the African continent not to emigrate to Europe, which can only be done through development”, said the leader of Brothers of Italy, who claimed her role in promoting these agreements . The Greek Prime Minister, Kiriakos Mitsotakis, highlighted Egypt’s role in controlling immigration and hosting displaced persons, especially during “these turbulent times”, and assured that the agreement “will allow immigration to be curbed irregular”. His priority is to avoid “the opening of new routes”, he said. Although Cairo has curbed departures from its shores since 2016, migrants still make their way into the Mediterranean from Libya and Tunis, with arrivals on the islands of Crete and Gavdos increasing in recent months.
“The fight against illegal immigration is our highest priority, we must do everything possible to prevent it,” said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who linked the issue to both economic development and security and anti-terrorist fight For their part, the president of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the prime minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, advocated attacking the causes of immigration and put special emphasis on denouncing the situation in Gaza.
“Gaza is facing starvation and we cannot accept that,” Von der Leyen added. “It is critical that an agreement is reached for a ceasefire quickly so that they release the hostages and allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza,” the German said alongside Al-Sissi, using her language firmest yet on the issue, in line with the statement currently being negotiated by the Twenty-seven ahead of Thursday’s summit. “There is a provisional verdict of the International Criminal Court that asks Israel to increase the arrival of humanitarian aid in the strip and, in practice, it does the opposite”, criticized De Croo.
