Egypt's Minister of State for Immigration and Expatriates' Affairs, Nabila Makram, met with Commissioner for European Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, to discuss cooperation in combating Illegal immigration, as well as training and rehabilitation of young people. She asserted the big role played by the Egyptian government in order to overcome the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which led to the return of 80,000 Egyptians abroad to Egypt. Makram said that her ministry launched "Nort Baladak" initiative which aims to help provide job opportunities for Egyptians abroad. Meanwhile, Johansson asserted that Egypt is an important and strategic partner for the European Union. She hailed the Immigration ministry's tangible efforts in combating irregular migration and dealing with the Egyptian returnees in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Both sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in order to encourage legal immigration and reintegration of returnees. They also asserted the importance of implementing programs to qualify Egyptian workers to work in European markets, and involving the EU to join the training programmes to train Egyptian workers in Europe in order to meet the needs of the Egyptian market.
