Cairo - Ambassador Nabila Makram, Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Affairs Abroad, expressed her pleasure to sign a cooperation protocol with Al-Gharbiyya Province in the pursuit of cracking down on illegal immigration. In televised remarks on Sunday evening, Makram said that Al-Gharbiyya province is one of the few major exporters of illegal immigration. "The ministry's strategy is based on combatting illegal immigration by promoting safe, legal immigration. We are not against immigration per se," she added. Makram appealed to Egyptians abroad to help of the state counter illegal immigration, saying: "Most Egyptians abroad come from rural villages, and today is the day when the opportunity come to those patriots to help the state stem the tide of illegal immigration through supporting development projects in different provinces via newly-launched imitative called: ‘Support your family'. Egypt is a source of many illegal immigrants—mainly non-Egyptian, multinationals and refugees—who typically find a way out to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.