A major migration summit in Egypt has been largely dominated by the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, as officials warned of mounting pressures on host nations and urged stronger international assistance.
The event, held in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, convened African ministers and key stakeholders under the auspices of the International Organization for Migration and the Global Compact for Migration, in preparation for a forthcoming global review forum in New York.
Summit proceedings, chaired by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and IOM Director-General Amy Pope, centered on strengthening migration governance across Africa. However, conversations were largely overshadowed by the humanitarian and economic consequences of regional unrest.
Abdelatty expressed dissatisfaction with what he called the inadequate level of international assistance provided to countries hosting refugees.
He stated, “We are completely dissatisfied with the level of international support being provided, not to help Egypt or Egyptians, but to help our refugee brothers and sisters who were forced by circumstances to flee their countries and communities and seek refuge here in Egypt.”
Egypt remains one of the continent’s principal hosts for refugees fleeing conflicts in the region, with officials highlighting that the burden has grown as instability continues.
Despite the challenges, global migration leaders emphasized that migration should be viewed as an opportunity rather than solely a crisis.
Amy Pope noted, “The opportunities, though, with migration are also significant. The world needs migration. In a planet where we are fighting significant challenges across the globe, finding safe, orderly, and regular ways for people to move, whether it’s because they need humanitarian protection, or whether it is because the world needs the dynamism, the labour mobility, the new ideas and innovation that migration brings.”
With conflicts continuing to displace populations, the summit highlighted the urgent requirement for coordinated international action, balancing immediate humanitarian support with long-term policies that leverage migration’s potential benefits.