More EU Funds for Sisi Dictatorship to fight Refugees

On August 7, a paper from the European Union was published stating that Egypt had received 23 million euros from the EU’s “Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument” (NDICI). According to the EU, the funds are to be used to improve the “border management” of  Egyptian authorities. The EU states that this program exists to contribute to “the eradication of poverty and the promotion of sustainable development, prosperity, peace and stability”.

In plain language, that means more money for the Sisi dictatorship to oppress refugees. The EU financed torture camps for refugees in Libya show what “European values” mean. This seems to be a model that the EU wants to extend to various African countries.

In 2022, the EU already made a deal with Egypt for 80 million euros to curb unwanted migration across the Mediterranean. 

The EU not only wants to prevent refugees from other African countries from fleeing to Europe, the military regime of Abdel Fattah el Sisi shall also prevent Egyptians from fleeing. In 2022, the number of people fleeing Egypt to Europe was the highest since 2014.

Because of the serious economic and human rights situation in Egypt, more and more Egyptians are looking for a way out of the country. Most Egyptians fleeing to Europe reach Italy via the Mediterranean Sea.

The financing of the Egyptian military dictatorship by the EU for the purpose of “fighting refugees” shows parallels to the EU financing of the Libyan coast guard or the financing of border security in Niger or the new “Migration Agreement” with Tunisia.

The EU’s economic and political interests are the foundation of the collaboration with dictatorships like Egypt. The talk of “human rights” is mere lip service, serving as a liberal facade for the brutal policies of “refugee containment”. The Federal Republic of Germany acts in a similar way.