Egypt took a proactive step in combating illegal migration through the establishment of a national coordinating committee affiliated to the Egyptian Cabinet of Ministers in 2014, which included 18 ministries and institutions, in addition to the National Council for Human Rights and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood.

Since then, the National Committee has launched its first action plan, 2014 - 2015, which included legislative, executive and awareness raising activities that resulted in the drafting of a law for "Combating Illegal Migration and Smuggling of Migrants", in addition to carrying out social and field studies to identify the governorates which export the largest number of illegal migrants of youth and unaccompanied children. The National Committee has initiated several awareness raising activities under the slogan "Egypt is your future" in the targeted governorates. The Committee has also addressed the media in all its forms to speak about the cause and the available solutions and alternatives.  

 

At a later phase, the National Committee started to draft an integrated strategy that reflects the vision and future perspective of the country to combat illegal migration. The strategy came in line with the State Development Plan 2030, and it was based on several solid foundations, including respect for the rule of law, human rights principles and standards, as well as community, regional and international participation.

The National Strategy (2016 - 2026) targets the most vulnerable groups who are at risk of being exploited by the smugglers. These groups include youth (18-35 years old), children, their families and those who are arriving illegally to Egypt. The strategy seeks to prevent and punish migration brokers and traders through severe measures and penalties. All government agencies involved in combating, and awareness-raising, as well as law enforcement agencies, educational, religious and media bodies and organizations of civil society, are involved in the implementation of the Strategy.

The most important targets of the strategy are as follows:

• Raising public awareness about illegal migration.
• Mobilizing the necessary resources to support efforts to combat illegal migration.
• Supporting development as a basis for combating illegal migration, providing positive alternatives to employment opportunities in Egypt, and supporting the legal migration routes.
• Protecting the most vulnerable groups.
• Investing in international cooperation to serve the cause.
• Increasing the information gathering capacity relevant to the issue of illegal migration.
• Building and activating the legislative framework that supports the activities of combating illegal migration.
• Strengthening regional cooperation.

 

The National Action Plan (NAP) 2016 - 2018  is the executive form to achieve the desired  goals. It includes details of activities, programs, target groups, and the entities that are responsible for the implementation, with the expected timeframe to execute  each activity and  the evaluation indicators.

The National Strategy (2016 – 2026) and its Action Plan (2016 – 2018) express the solid will of the Egyptian state to confront the dangers of illegal migration. They also reflect the comprehensive vision of the development process associated with addressing this threat, which aims to combat and eradicate it.

Consolidating national, regional and international efforts can help achieve the desired success in protecting the lives of innocent citizens from the exploitation of these death brokers.

Egypt works on combatting the crime of trafficking in persons through an integrated approach which focuses on the protection of victims, the effective implementation of the law, the prosecution of the perpetrators, as well as raising the awareness of the crime’s dangers and forms. Egypt does not only consider the crime of trafficking as a transnational organized crime, but as a human rights issue because it violates the basic rights of having a dignified and safe life. It is also linked to corruption and money laundering. Moreover, Egypt pays special attention to victims of trafficking, and this was evident in the provisions of Law No. 64 of 2010, which emphasized the protection of victims and the absence of their legal accountability for the crime. It also stipulated many rights that guarantee their human dignity. Here comes the role of the National Referral Mechanism for victims of trafficking, which works on regulating the roles of the national concerned authorities that deal with victims, to ensure a rapid response to them and provide the necessary support for their recovery. This includes providing the services stipulated in Article 22 of Law No. 64 of 2010, which explicitly stipulates the state’s commitment to ensure victim’s protection and to work on creating proper conditions for their assistance, health, psychological, educational and social care, and rehabilitation.