The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIM & TIP) held a training workshop for Egyptian prosecutors on combating illegal migration and human trafficking. This comes within the framework of the Cooperation on Migration Governance (CONMIGO) project. The three-day workshop for prosecutors was held in Cairo on 17-19 January. The opening session was attended by Naela Gabr, the Chairperson of NCCPIM & TIP; Christian Berger, the ambassador and head of the EU Delegation to Egypt; and Ahmed El-Saeed, the head of Center for Criminal Justice Research and Training. In his opening remarks, Berger praised the training as an excellent result of the bilateral collaboration between the Spanish and Egyptian institutions. The CONMIGO workshop also witnessed the presence of Beatriz Sánchez, Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Spain, and the head of the unit to combat smuggling of migrants and trafficking of persons at the General Prosecutor Office; Carolina Barrio, Prosecutor Delegate for Immigration and International Cooperation; and two of the leading Spanish experts in this topic. Leveraging Spain's expertise in migration governance, the workshop delved into a diversity of topics, including the international framework regulating these crimes, investigation procedures, and money laundering. The workshop was also an opportunity for the Spanish and Egyptian prosecutors to exchange knowledge and experience in managing complex transnational cases. It was also enriched by practical case studies, which the attendees were able to put into practice what they learnt on the final day. The training closed off with a public ceremony, which included Ambassador of Spain Alvaro Iranzo Gutiérrez and Gabr who delivered the diplomas to the participants. The NCCPIM & TIP chairperson reiterated her gratitude to the Spanish Cooperation for the ongoing partnership and stressed that trafficking in persons is not only an international crime but a violation of human rights. For his part, Ambassador Iranzo highlighted the commitment of Spain with the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration and the Palermo Protocol, and underlined that trafficking in persons affects the most vulnerable population, particularly women, hence the need for a gender-responsive justice system. The CONMIGO project aims to bolster the capacity of Egypt's institutions, foster knowledge exchange and technical expertise on migration governance, as well as raise awareness of the risk of irregular migration. The project is funded by the European Union.
