On October 23, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took part in the first Egypt–EU Summit, held at the European Council headquarters in Brussels. The meeting was attended by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Egyptians Abroad, Dr. Badr Abdel Aaty; Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat; and Engineer Hassan El-Khatib, representing the investment sector.
In his address, President Sisi described the summit as a strategic step toward strengthening the comprehensive partnership between Egypt and the European Union in the fields of investment, energy, development, and migration. He emphasized that Egypt is a “reliable and pivotal partner” for Europe in its regional environment, possessing the capabilities to become an active industrial and commercial hub. Sisi reviewed Egypt’s efforts in combating terrorism, irregular migration, and transnational challenges, declaring that no migrant boat has left Egypt’s shores since 2016, while the country currently hosts more than 9.5 million refugees and foreigners who receive the same public services as Egyptian citizens. “Egypt deals with the migration issue from a humanitarian and developmental perspective, not a purely security one,” he said.
The European Union, in turn, praised Egypt for hosting millions of refugees and for its joint commitment to managing migration, combating smuggling, and addressing the root causes of irregular migration. It revealed that Egypt’s cooperation contributed to a 21% decrease in irregular migration to Europe in early 2025, supported by EU-funded border security programs.
On regional issues, Sisi affirmed that Egypt continues its efforts to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, within the framework of the initiative launched at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit recently hosted by Egypt. He reiterated Egypt’s push for a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The president also highlighted Egypt’s efforts in Sudan to reach a ceasefire, facilitate humanitarian access, and cooperate with the EU to preserve Sudan’s unity and prevent its slide into chaos, in addition to supporting a Libyan-Libyan political settlement based on institutional unification and the withdrawal of foreign forces.
For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the signing of a new agreement between the EU and Egypt that includes €5 billion in financial assistance, comprising loans, investments, and grants. This package is part of the €7.4 billion framework agreed upon in 2024 between the EU and President Sisi, which includes provisions aimed at curbing migration to Europe. Both sides also pledged to enhance trade and investment by updating the Association Agreement, launching new initiatives for the green transition and renewable energy, and expanding cooperation in clean technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.
According to the joint statement of the Egypt–EU Summit, the meeting marks a major milestone in the development of bilateral relations. The two parties agreed to support peace, security, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, while commending Egypt’s role in promoting regional stability and mediating conflict resolutions. The EU welcomed the agreement on the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan and Egypt’s mediation efforts, calling for the swift and safe entry of humanitarian aid. The statement reaffirmed the EU’s support for the two-state solution, rejection of forced displacement or settlement expansion, and its commitment to working toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, as well as supporting UN efforts in Libya, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa to achieve political solutions and ensure humanitarian access.
The Principle of Mutual Benefit
The first Egypt–EU Summit marks a turning point in bilateral relations, launching a new phase of political, economic, and security cooperation between the two sides. It is founded on the principle of mutual benefit and reflects a qualitative evolution in Egypt–EU relations. The summit affirmed the shared desire of both the Egyptian and European parties to deepen cooperation and activate political, economic, and security partnership mechanisms that contribute to regional stability and sustainable development, according to Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Higazy — Egypt’s former ambassador to Germany and former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Higazy explained that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Egypt and the European Union is built on six main pillars: political and diplomatic relations; macroeconomic stability; support for trade and investment; cooperation in energy, water, and climate change; combating irregular migration and enhancing security; and developing human capital through education and scientific research.
In an interview with Zawia3, Higazy emphasized Europe’s keenness to expand cooperation with Cairo in the fields of clean energy, green hydrogen, food and water security, and digital transformation, in addition to strengthening industrial and development investments. He noted that the agreements signed during the summit, President Sisi’s participation in economic events, and his invitation to European institutions and business leaders to invest in Egypt represent a significant step toward introducing European companies to Egypt’s progress in economic reform and the promising investment, industrial, and technological partnership opportunities it offers.
“Europe fully recognizes the importance of Egypt’s role in consolidating regional stability,” he said. “Cairo is viewed as a cornerstone in the Middle East and a key partner in conflict resolution. Egypt has demonstrated its ability to manage regional affairs with a balanced policy — most recently through its mediation and de-escalation efforts during the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit.”
He added that the Brussels Summit represents a new beginning for a deep and sustainable strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union, embodying European confidence in Egypt’s role and Cairo’s commitment to a path of development and stability. The summit, he said, opens broad horizons for cooperation in investment, energy, and regional security, serving the stability of both Mediterranean shores, the Arab world, and Africa. Higazy called on European governments to provide the necessary guarantees for companies seeking to enter the Egyptian market.
For his part, Ambassador Rakha Ahmed Hassan, former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian United Nations Association, stated that the European Union appreciates Egypt’s steadfast commitment to the peace treaty with Israel despite repeated violations by the Israeli government. He also noted Europe’s appreciation of Cairo’s position on the Israeli war on Gaza, including Egypt’s repeated calls for a ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and its support for an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction.
Hassan explained that the concept of “early recovery” refers to the restoration of vital infrastructure such as electricity, water, telecommunications, and sanitation, as well as repairing hospitals, schools, and basic facilities destroyed by Israeli bombardments, allowing life to gradually resume. He added that the European Union welcomed this call and expressed readiness to participate in reconstruction efforts, estimated to cost around $70 billion (3.36 billion pounds) according to United Nations assessments.
The member of the Egyptian United Nations Association further clarified that the agreement on the €7.4 billion European assistance package for Egypt was reached in principle in March 2024, and is set to be divided into three main components. The largest portion, €5 billion, is a soft loan with favorable interest rates and repayment terms, to be provided to Egypt in tranches. The first tranche, worth €1 billion, was disbursed at the beginning of this year, while the second tranche is expected soon.
Hassan explained that €1.8 billion is allocated for investment projects, with ongoing discussions to determine which projects will receive funding, based on precise feasibility studies to assess returns. The remaining €600 million is a non-repayable grant provided by the European Commission, almost annually, to support social, environmental, and development projects, including infrastructure improvements and water and electricity stations in villages and small towns.
He told Zawia3: “The volume of trade exchange between Egypt and the European Union amounts to about €32 billion, including €12 billion in Egyptian exports and €20 billion in imports from Europe, resulting in a trade deficit in favor of the EU. Discussions held before the summit — particularly during meetings between Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat and European officials — focused on ways to increase Egyptian exports through customs facilitation for industrial goods, especially textiles and early-season agricultural products known as ‘bashayer’, which enjoy broad acceptance in European markets.”
The former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs added that Egypt’s investment climate was also among the key topics raised. European business representatives submitted a set of demands to ensure a stable investment environment. He noted that Egyptian investors play a pivotal role in attracting foreign investors, as businesspeople often consult and exchange experiences before investing. European embassies and institutions, he said, closely monitor local investment conditions, which significantly influence their decisions. Major projects such as metro lines, monorails, electrified railways, oil, gas, and solar energy projects remain the most appealing to European investors due to the technical guarantees and control mechanisms they provide.
Regarding migration, the ambassador explained that Egypt has successfully halted the departure of irregular migrants from its territory since 2016, thanks to legal and security measures adopted over the past years. He noted that migrants attempting to reach Europe often pass through Libya first, either under work contracts or via irregular routes, before heading to European shores. Hassan pointed out that Europe suffers from a shortage of youth and skilled labor, needing trained workers fluent in foreign languages, while Egypt needs to expand vocational and language training programs to qualify its workforce for employment in EU countries.
Egypt: Developing the Media… or Developing Tools of Persecution?
A Strategic and Developmental Partnership
The Egypt–EU Summit falls within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in March 2024, under which the European Union allocated a €7.4 billion financial and investment package for the period 2024–2027. The package includes €1 billion in short-term assistance, €4 billion in soft loans to support economic stability and the green transition, and €75 million for social reforms. The summit also witnessed Egypt’s signing of the Horizon Europe research and innovation program agreement, along with over 20 memoranda of understanding between European and Egyptian companies worth more than €40 billion.
The summit represents a strategic turning point in the trajectory of economic relations between Egypt and the European Union, positioning Egypt as a regional hub for energy, manufacturing, and logistics. According to economic expert Dr. Ahmed Shawky, the summit’s outcomes confirm the shift in relations between the two sides — from a traditional trade partnership to a developmental and strategic partnership encompassing food security, clean energy, and sustainable investment, within a shared vision that supports sustainable economic growth and aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030.
Shawky explained that the economic cooperation between Egypt and the EU rests on five main pillars: investment, trade and industry; financial stability; digital transformation; energy and the green transition; and food security and agricultural development. He added that the European Union has pledged to expand its investments in Egyptian industrial zones, particularly in manufacturing, food industries, and electronic components, while working to establish joint industrial and logistical zones to facilitate Egyptian exports to European markets without customs restrictions, based on the EU–Egypt Association Agreement. Shawky expects these agreements to raise the volume of direct European investments in Egypt to over €12 billion by 2027.
The economist further noted that the European Union has dedicated a €7.4 billion support and investment package for 2024–2027, including about €4 billion in direct financial support for Egypt’s budget, aimed at enhancing monetary and fiscal stability and supporting the economic reform program, thereby reducing the budget deficit and strengthening foreign reserves. Egypt has also formally joined Horizon Europe, the EU’s main funding program for research and innovation, which aims to address climate change and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program will provide annual research funding of up to €200 million, supporting the knowledge economy, technological entrepreneurship, industrial innovation, and technical education.
Shawky added that the summit resulted in an agreement to increase European investment in Egypt’s energy sector, particularly in renewable energy projects — including wind, solar, and green hydrogen — to consolidate Egypt’s position as a regional energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The cooperation framework aims for 20% of Europe’s energy needs from green hydrogen to be supplied by Egypt by 2030. The European Union has also approved over €300 million in funding to support Egypt’s food security programs, including modern irrigation and smart agriculture projects, thereby enhancing Egyptian agricultural exports to European markets, which exceeded $5 billion (240 billion pounds) in 2024.
Egypt’s “Border Guard” Role to Curb Migration
Although the Egypt–EU Summit marked economic and diplomatic progress, it also raised questions about the extent to which this partnership upholds principles of transparency and human rights. Human rights organizations criticized the European Union for prioritizing stability and migration control over democracy and human rights.
The Refugees’ Platform in Egypt expressed concern that the billions granted to Cairo contain no clear commitments to protect the rights of citizens and refugees. In a statement issued on October 22, coinciding with the summit in Brussels, the platform called for refugee and migrant rights to be placed at the top of the partnership agenda, criticizing what it described as “funding mechanisms of repression” under the guise of “stability and development.” The statement argued that unconditional European support effectively rewards Egypt for human rights abuses, turning cooperation into an exchange of money for political and security backing, while Europe overlooks a wide record of violations in return for Egypt’s acceptance of the “border guard” role to stop irregular migration.
The platform noted that Egypt is currently witnessing the broadest wave of human rights violations in the past decade, including the arbitrary detention of tens of thousands, repression of freedom of expression and association, expansion of exceptional courts, enforced disappearances, and torture in detention centers, in addition to inhumane prison conditions.
According to the statement, EU-funded Egyptian migration policies have evolved into a deadly system of collective deterrence. Refugees fleeing war — particularly from Sudan — are detained in unofficial facilities, denied communication and legal aid, and many are coerced into signing “voluntary return” documents. Human rights organizations have documented the forcible deportation of more than 20,000 Sudanese, including women and children, which has torn apart hundreds of families. Simultaneously, refugees and migrants face obstacles in registration, risk of arrest and deportation, denial of essential services, and rising racism and gender-based violence, especially against refugee women.
The platform also criticized Egypt’s Asylum Law, issued in December 2024 and drafted with input from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), arguing that it weakened protection mechanisms by replacing them with security committees and criminalizing humanitarian assistance to refugees. The law drew serious objections from seven UN special rapporteurs and concerns from the UNHCR, which stated that its provisions are inconsistent with international refugee law.
The platform warned that unconditional EU support makes the Union a direct partner in violations, cautioning against turning Egypt into a “mass detention zone” for refugees and migrants, in violation of the non-refoulement principle. It called for linking EU–Egypt cooperation to strict, transparent human rights monitoring mechanisms, with civil society participation, and for suspending migration governance funds until independent oversight is ensured. It also urged the EU to revoke Egypt’s classification as a “safe country”, guarantee freedom of civil society and the press, end the criminalization of refugees and forced deportations, and facilitate registration and access to essential services. The statement stressed the need to review Egypt’s migration and asylum laws, channel support toward refugee-led organizations, and expand evacuation, resettlement, and humanitarian visa programs.
Human rights activist Nour Khalil, director of the Refugees’ Platform in Egypt, said the latest financial package falls under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced more than a year ago, one of whose pillars the EU calls “migration governance and anti-smuggling.” He explained that of the total €7.4 billion package, €600 million is provided as grants, €200 million of which is allocated specifically to migration management programs.
He told Zawia3: “These funds cannot be separated from the Egyptian authorities’ role in suppressing migration flows — a role that has evolved in parallel with Egypt–EU relations since the African Migration Charter and the Khartoum Process in 2014, through the migration funding agreements of 2017, and up to the latest programs financing and strengthening Egypt’s border guards, coast guard, and law enforcement agencies involved in migration control.”
Khalil added that the strategic partnership, in all its dimensions, must be viewed within this context. This orientation, he said, is evident in joint Egypt–EU meetings, summits, explanatory notes, and EU policy documents, all of which highlight Egypt’s role in migration control — supported by European financial, technical, and political backing.
He continued: “This European support is reflected in Europe’s tolerance of the human rights violations accompanying these agreements. Official statements from both sides — in Brussels and Cairo — echo this perspective, including President Sisi’s remarks in Brussels on combating irregular migration, and Egyptian reports submitted to the EU detailing numbers of detainees at the borders and migration-related cases.” Khalil described Egypt as “the external gatekeeper of the European fortress,” receiving continuous financial and political aid in exchange for Europe’s deliberate silence on human rights abuses.
The director of the Refugees’ Platform said the main problem with these agreements lies in the absence of prior risk assessments for the programs being implemented and the lack of transparency on both sides regarding the nature of these partnerships — whether with the EU and its institutions or individual member states. He explained that these agreements are often executed within repressive regimes or under the control of armed militias, which crack down on civil society and journalists, criminalize research, and militarize border and migration management, making independent monitoring and documentation nearly impossible.
He added: “Human rights organizations, researchers, and journalists have already documented violations linked to EU–Egypt migration projects. In Egypt’s case, rights reports — including those by the Refugees’ Platform in Egypt — have recorded breaches of the non-refoulement principle, with the security agencies implementing these violations being direct recipients of EU and member-state support.”
Khalil cited evidence documented by the platform of violent pushbacks carried out by Egyptian border guards toward Sudan, a country facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. These incidents were also confirmed by international organizations such as Amnesty International, even though the same Egyptian security forces previously received EU support. He added that Egyptian authorities also manipulate the migrant narrative, backed by European assessments detached from reality: while official conferences claim Egypt has stopped crossings from its Mediterranean shores, in truth Egyptians have become one of the largest national groups migrating via Libya — a far more dangerous route marked by extensive abuses and the absence of protection.
Khalil also pointed out that, according to official EU documents, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has provided consultative support to Egyptian authorities since 2021 in drafting asylum-related policies. Since the start of this cooperation, the Egyptian government has amended Law No. 82 of 2016 on combating irregular migration, introducing harsher penalties while neglecting protection procedures. Later, it issued the new asylum law, which he described as “catastrophic” for violating international obligations and standards. Khalil said the law has collapsed Egypt’s protection system and adversely affected hundreds of thousands of refugees.
He concluded that these agreements were fundamentally designed to suppress migration, and that the documented patterns of violations in Egypt — including pushbacks, violations of the non-refoulement principle, deprivation of services, hate speech, prison recycling, and the legalization of abuses through policy and legislative changes — are repeated across all countries that signed similar deals. He warned that the absence of monitoring and accountability mechanisms will lead to the continuation and expansion of such violations, asserting that the EU, its institutions, and member states remain complicit unless information is disclosed and accountability ensured.
From Defense to Defendants: The Forced Exile of Egyptian Human Rights Lawyers
Criticism over the Neglect of Human Rights
In a related context, several human rights organizations — including Human Rights Watch, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Egyptian Human Rights Forum, the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, the Foundation for Law and Democracy Support, and the Refugees’ Platform in Egypt — called on EU leaders to place human rights at the core of the summit’s agenda, which was held under the slogan “Stability and Shared Prosperity.” The organizations accused Egyptian authorities of continuing a policy of systematic repression and zero tolerance for peaceful opposition since the announcement of the new strategic partnership in March 2024, while violations of economic and social rights persist without genuine reform.
Claudio Francavilla, Deputy Director of the European Union Division at Human Rights Watch, urged EU leaders to use their leverage to push for tangible reforms ensuring accountability and respect for citizens’ rights in Egypt.
In their joint statement, the organizations accused Egyptian authorities of continuing to arrest and prosecute dissidents on vague charges, referring around 6,000 individuals to trial in 2025 on terrorism-related accusations, many of whom were targeted for exercising peaceful rights. The statement highlighted ongoing torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings amid near-total impunity, along with reports of mass graves in North Sinai for which no official investigations have been opened. It also condemned what it described as the use of Egyptian diplomatic missions abroad to repress dissidents and refugees, including the detention and forced return of asylum seekers with European funding.
The organizations further criticized the EU for providing substantial financial aid to Egypt despite its failure to meet democratic benchmarks, such as respect for the rule of law and human rights. According to the statement, Cairo received €1 billion under a memorandum of understanding in June 2024, followed by a second €4 billion package in June 2025, without implementing meaningful reforms.
Human rights lawyer Gamal Eid, Executive Director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), said the absence of the human rights file from the Egypt–EU Summit was “unsurprising, though unacceptable.” He explained that the war on Gaza and the rise of the far-right in Europe and the United States have pushed the human rights agenda to the background in favor of political and strategic interests, particularly regarding Western plans for Gaza and the European prioritization of migration control. “From this angle, the decline was expected,” he said, “though it reflects a broader erosion of human rights values in favor of security and political calculations.”
Eid added that Egyptian authorities have found in this shift an opportunity to align with EU priorities. Speaking to Zawia3, he said: “The rise of the far-right across Europe has marginalized human rights to a large extent, focusing instead on migration, in response to right-wing pressure to halt both regular and irregular migration flows. Meanwhile, the Egyptian regime acts as an ‘opportunity hunter,’ exploiting this shift to expand its repressive practices amid the absence of Western criticism. At the same time, it offers Europeans exactly what they want — a complete halt to irregular migration from Egypt’s shores.” He accused the authorities of implicitly threatening that, without continued aid, they might ‘turn a blind eye’ to migration flows.
The ANHRI director continued: “The world is now witnessing one of the darkest moments in the history of human rights, where policies are driven by short-term interests rather than the moral and humanitarian principles once championed by the West. What we are seeing is a convergence of interests between two sides: an authoritarian regime exploiting the issue politically, and a right-leaning Europe that believes ‘this is the best possible arrangement,’ as long as the regime fulfills its core mission — controlling migration and asylum.”
Eid noted that the March 2024 meeting between the two sides extended earlier European promises of a €7.4 billion assistance package to Egypt, adding that the recent summit reaffirmed a clear equation: “We will close the migration file and silence the human rights file in exchange for investments and financial aid.”
Ahmed Al-Attar, Executive Director of the Egyptian Network for Human Rights, described the provision of large-scale financial aid in exchange for security cooperation or migration control without human rights conditions as “financial incentivization without accountability.” He predicted that such agreements would likely have negative consequences for refugees and migrants, potentially leading to tighter administrative detention measures, reduced legal protection channels, increased deportations, or forcing individuals toward riskier smuggling routes, while also limiting humanitarian organizations’ ability to operate freely.
He told Zawia3: “Unconditional European funding reduces international pressure on the Egyptian government to reopen civic space, which may lead to further restrictions on freedoms of association and expression. To avoid this scenario, the EU must balance practical cooperation with conditional commitments to human rights improvements. It is crucial that portions of funding be tied to measurable progress in areas such as legal protection for independent organizations, media freedom, and security-sector accountability.”
Al-Attar expressed support for EU–Egypt cooperation, provided it is conditional, transparent, and measurable. He proposed a practical framework linking funding tranches to specific reform milestones, establishing independent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms with civil society participation, and setting clear standards to limit arbitrary detentions and strengthen refugee protection systems. Such an approach, he said, would both safeguard the Egyptian people’s interests and regional stability, and prevent the partnership from becoming a cover for repressive policies.
While the first Egypt–EU Summit succeeded in enhancing economic and investment cooperation and broadening joint work in energy, migration, and sustainable development, it also revealed a fundamental contradiction in priorities. Europe remains focused on security, migration, and border control, while Egypt seeks financial and investment support to ease the burden of its economic crisis.
Amid this intersection of interests, the human rights file — supposedly a cornerstone of any partnership built on “stability and shared prosperity” — was sidelined, as noted by human rights organizations that criticized its deliberate exclusion in favor of regional, economic, and security considerations.
