The European Union agreed to give Egypt a 7.4-billion-euro aid package to help bolster migration efforts as immigrants flood the country amid various conflicts.
The European Union announced a 7.4-billion-euro aid package for Egypt, or about $8 billion, amid concerns of migrants flooding the country from Israel and making the voyage across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Egyptian Abdel Fattah el-sissi signed the deal on Sunday in Cairo, though the agreement was criticized because of Egypt’s human rights record, the Associated Press reported.
The deal between the EU and Egypt is called the Joint Declaration, and is intended to promote 'democracy, fundamental freedoms, human rights and gender equality,' the EU said. But also included is a cooperation to take on the challenges of migration and terrorism. The funds are intended to help Egypt bolster its borders next to places like Libya, where migrants pass through as they flee conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could also lead to hundreds of thousands of people flooding into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula as the southernmost town of Gaza, Rafah, has taken in over 1 million people, the AP reported. Currently, Egypt is reporting about 9 million migrants in the country, which includes about 480,000 who are registered with the U.N. refugee agency as refugees and asylum seekers.
The deal follows the template of other deals recently signed with Tunisia and Mauritania, which pledged funds in return for fortifying borders. Tunisia and Mauritania are both locations where migrants leave to cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of freedom in Italy and Spain. Still, the package was criticized by international groups over Egypt’s history of human rights violations. One group, Amnesty International, reportedly urged the EU not to take Egypt’s violations lightly.
The European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer acknowledged to reporters that there were issues with human rights violations, though he defended the partnership. 'Yes, we know the criticism related to human rights in those countries, and it is obvious that this is an issue,' he said.
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