Cairo, March 14th, 2023 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday 14 March 2023 welcomed to its office in Cairo H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark accompanied by H.E. Ambassador Minister Soha Gendi, Egyptian Minister of Immigration and Egyptian expatriates, along with a delegation from the Danish Government and H.E. Svend Olling, the outgoing Danish Ambassador to Egypt.

The visit focused on the existing partnership between IOM and the Kingdom of Denmark that aims to support migration management capacities of the Government of Egypt to address various migration challenges.

During the visit, the delegation witnessed first-hand the protection assistance provided to migrants within the IOM premises. In a personal meeting with migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Yemen, the Prime Minister had the chance to listen to the stories of their journeys and the challenges they encountered and appreciate the current needs of their respective communities. “IOM Egypt is honored to receive Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, to our office to discuss our existing partnership as well as our joint efforts to enhance areas of common cooperation,” said Carlos Oliver Cruz, IOM Chief of Mission in Egypt. “The vital and generous financial support from the Danish government has enabled IOM to address essential needs and provide support and protection to migrant communities in the country.”

Over the past five years the partnership between Denmark and IOM has been primarily aimed at enhancing protection for victims of trafficking and at-risk populations through technical and material support to key governmental stakeholders and other relevant partners.

Background on cooperation between Denmark and IOM in Egypt

This partnership has since 2018 enabled IOM in Egypt to assist more than 1,000 migrants with comprehensive protection assistance and voluntary return and reintegration. An additional 1,000 migrants were reached through in-person awareness raising sessions. The support has also facilitated strengthening of border management capacity to contribute to safe, orderly, and regular migration.

Other achievements of the collaboration between Denmark and IOM include the establishment of the first shelter for victims of trafficking, mainly women and girls, launching of a hotline for the National Council for Human Rights – to enable them to respond to victims of trafficking, including men who are not covered by the mandate of other hotlines, enhancing the infrastructure of the hotline of the National Council for Women to enable them to better respond to victims of trafficking, and the dissemination of the first national awareness campaign on counter trafficking in persons that reached tens of millions of people in Egypt.

For more information, please contact: Salma Okasha, IOM Egypt, sokasha@iom.int