Egypt adopts a strategic vision to deal with the issue of emigration, said Ehab Ahmed Badawy, Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security.

Addressing the inaugural session of a regional technical dialogue with North African countries, Badawy said the new strategy is not restricted to the security side but rather extends to development dimensions and tackling the reasons behind illegal emigration.

He called for observing a one-minute silence to remember the victims of the Earthquake in Morocco and the floods in Libya and welcomed the dialogue participants to discuss the issue of merging the immigrants in societies.

He said a fund was established recently to combat illegal emigration and protect the emigrants through financing emigration activities and facilitating the return of the emigrants.

For his part, the head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, Ambassador Christian Berger, hailed Egypt's efforts to combat illegal emigration, protect borders and fight trafficking networks which facilitate illegal emigration.

He also pointed out to decision by the European Commission to adopt the EU strategy on voluntary return and reintegration, which aims at increasing the number of voluntary returns and at improving the quality of the support provided to the returnees.