Egypt - IOM has launched the first in a series of trainings for Egypt’s Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) on migration data collection and analysis. The programme aims to enhance the government’s capacity to develop evidence-based policies on migration.

Participants included 15 representatives from CAPMAS, the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of State for Emigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs.

“Migration is currently at the top of the world agenda and Egypt has great potential to harness its benefits. IOM will continue to support the efforts of the government to further enhance data collection and analysis to help plan and implement of a comprehensive whole of government approach on this key issue.” said IOM Egypt’s head of labour migration and human development, Teuta Grazhdani.

This first training focuses on forecasting labour markets in Egypt and abroad and is the first of its kind. It aims to encourage dialogue and connect relevant stakeholders involved at all stages: data collection, analysis and policymaking. The training was delivered by a labour market expert based on a methodology that was developed for the purpose of regulating and promoting demand-driven labour migration across the Mediterranean and beyond.

IOM has been supporting the newly established Migration Unit at CAPMAS through enhancing its technical and physical capacity. The aim is to create a national hub for data on migration, in order to support and provide relevant key data to government actors.

This is part of a wider intervention to support the government with evidence-based research to support the development of labour mobility schemes between Egypt and Europe – both of which are currently facing real, yet complementary, demographic transitions.

As part of the same intervention, IOM has recently launched a social media campaign: “A Day without Migrants,” highlighting the importance of migrants and their impact on their host country.

Since its launch on 21 November, the campaign reached over 20 million people through different social media platforms and has become a part of the United Nations “Together” campaign, which also aims to strengthen the links between host communities, refugees and migrants.

The trainings are part of an IOM Development Fund-supported project: “Developing Capacities for Forecasting and Planning Migration across the Mediterranean.”

For further information, please contact Teuta Grazhdani at IOM Egypt. Tel: +202-27365140, Email: iomegypt@iom.int