UAE participates in Arab meeting on migration, asylum in Cairo

CAIRO, 25th July, (WAM) -- The UAE participated in a special meeting for Arab regional discussion on immigration and asylum, which was held today at the Arab League headquarters, in co-operation with the High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration.

The meeting discussed the Refugee Convention, and the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

The country was represented by Mubarak Mohammed Mubarak Al Hammadi, Head of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

In his speech at the opening session of the conference, Ambassador Bader Al-Deen Al-Alali, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League for Social Affairs, warned about the dangers of increased immigration in the Arab region, which was proving a challenge for all parties.

He said that the number of immigrants hosted by the Arab region in 2016 was estimated at over 34 million, while the number of Arab immigrants had reached over 26 million in 2015, besides the presence of large numbers of immigrants who passed through the region or stayed for limited periods hoping to reach Europe.

While stating that the region was facing unprecedented challenges, Al-Alali clarified that the refugees issue in the Arab region had been presented strongly on the international stage, as the region was facing a state of emergency, in terms of the number of immigrants, and unfortunately, the situation was getting worse each year, with the refugees conditions worsening, while the burden on the countries and communities hosting them was increasing.