EU and Egypt forge $8.1 billion deal to tackle migration and boost partnership

• Published date: 20 March 2024
• Author: DEBBIE MOHNBLATT/THE MEDIA LINE
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

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The agreement upgrades Egypt's ties with the EU to a"strategic partnership," which is expected to boost cooperation in energy, trade, and security over the next three years in return for Egypt to fortify its borders to prevent migration to Europe.

Kelly Petillo, program manager of Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told The Media Line that Africa is a major priority for the EU, especially in terms of migration.

She noted that the idea to support North African governments with economic aid to curb migration was tested in Turkey first in 2016, and since then, it has been adapted to North Africa with a similar deal with Tunisia's government and now with Egypt. However, she stresses that this strategy has not proved to be successful.

A strategy that has not been successful

"The big problem is that the imperative to counter migration has come at the expense of advancing a rights-based agenda as part of the EU's cooperation with these countries," Petillo said, adding that the narrowing of the focus has allowed authoritarian governments in these countries to thrive. "Now leaders like al-Sisi and Saied feel more confident that they will be given leeway to cement their power and use financial support to do the bare minimum to sustain people in these countries."

Jack Kennedy, associate director and head of Middle East and North Africa Country Risk at S&P Global Market Intelligence told The Media Line that, while Egypt is not the biggest single embarkation point for migration into Europe, it is a major transit country.

Kennedy said that the EU financial support likely represents Europe's recognition of several factors, including the country's population size. That is why, he says, the EU is "providing a level of support and preventing a wider economic collapse that could potentially drive significantly higher levels of migration, either from Egypt or third countries."

Additionally, the Egyptian economy is under significant strain from external events. Kennedy explained that the North African country is taking in high numbers of Sudanese refugees as a result of the fighting there, as well as Syrian refugees, and the potential for more Gazan refugees exists as well.

He pointed out that Egypt is also economically suffering, as its dollar revenues have been reduced due to the Houthi disruption of maritime traffic in the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

Petillo, meanwhile, said that...