The CONMIGO project, which is implemented by the Spanish Cooperation in Egypt (AECID), held a workshop for Egyptian judges on combating trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants on 4-9 February. This workshop took place at the Cairo Marriott Hotel in Zamalek in collaboration with the National Center for Judicial Studies. Opening remarks were given by Álvaro Iranzo, Ambassador of Spain to Egypt; Reem Zahran, Minister Plenipotentiary of the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIM&TIP); and Judge Haytham Hegazy, Representative Counsellor for the National Center for Judicial Studies. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Iranzo praised the workshop as an excellent result of the bilateral collaboration between the Spanish and Egyptian institutions stating that the project builds on the commonalities that exist between Spain and Egypt as being sending, receiving and transit countries. Such workshops foster a fruitful exchange of experiences between the two countries. The CONMIGO project's workshop witnessed the presence of Silvia Cantón and Lorena Cárdenas, Magistrate Judges of the Spanish General Council of the Judiciary; Mohamed El-Gendy, the Head of the Appeal Court in Egypt; Adel Maged, the Vice President of the Cassation Court; Mohamed Hegazy, the Senior Consultant for Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the Digital Economy and Technology General Division Egyptian Governmental Organization; and other Egyptian and Spanish experts in the field of combating the crimes of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. Leveraging Spain's expertise in migration governance, the workshop delved into a diversity of topics, including the Spanish legal frameworks of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, presentations of both the Egyptian and Spanish case laws, and the challenges of dealing with trafficking crimes within the Egyptian judiciary system. The workshop was an opportunity for the Spanish and Egyptian judges to exchange knowledge and experience on managing complex transnational cases. The workshop closed off with a ceremony, which included Naela Gabr, chairperson of NCCPIM&TIP, and Ambassador Christian Berger, head of the EU in Egypt.
