ANP Productions | Source: ANP
Luxembourg
The European Union must invest more in Egypt now that that shaky country is also in danger of having to process a flow of Palestinian refugees. This “helps not only that country, but also us,” State Secretary Eric van der Burg said after consultations with his EU colleagues in Luxembourg on Thursday. The EU has been trying to make agreements with Egypt for some time about, among other things, the fight against illegal migration, but according to Van der Burg, extra effort is now necessary.
Egypt borders the Gaza Strip, which has been completely cordoned off by Israel and has been bombarded since the Hamas attack almost two weeks ago. The country is preparing for the arrival of fleeing Palestinians, but says it cannot cope.
Van der Burg was in Egypt just before the war between Israel and Hamas broke out, and even then, according to him, it was clear that Egypt is an “extremely important country” for the EU. According to the State Secretary, the stability in Egypt or the lack thereof radiates to the further southern coast of the Mediterranean. And therefore also influences how many people take a boat to Europe. “You also saw that reflected in our consultations,” he said about the meeting in Luxembourg with the migration ministers of the EU countries.
As with Tunisia, the EU will have to make agreements with Egypt. And in light of the crisis in the Middle East, the union must put more effort into this, Van der Burg thinks.