The meeting followed up the creation
of a database for all expats repatriated due to the novel coronavirus pandemic,
within the “Welcome Home” initiative.
Cairo- August
6, 2020
Minister of Local Development Mahmoud
Shaarawy and Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs Nabila
Markram held a meeting today, with the participation of Minister of Trade and
Industry Nevine Game through video conference, to follow up the creation of a
database for all expats repatriated due to the novel coronavirus pandemic,
within the “Welcome Home” initiative.
Governors of the Red Sea, Fayoum,
Minya, Beni Suef, Sohag, Assiut, Luxor, New Valley, Aswan, and Qena also
participated virtually in the meeting.
Shaarawy stressed the need to make a
full inventory of the jobs and investment opportunities available in different
fields across Egypt, especially in Upper Egypt, noting the important role of
the private sector, civil society institutions and NGOs in supporting the government
efforts.
Makram explored joint efforts with
the other ministries in preparing a labour recruitment application form, to
collect personal information and professional skills of recently repatriated
expats, with the aim to offer them jobs in the ongoing national development
projects.
Gamea, for her part, stressed the
government’s keenness on providing decent jobs to repatriated labour, through offering
job opportunities in its infrastructure megaprojects and other labor-intensive ones,
in addition to soft loans to set up SMEs especially in the sectors of
agriculture, livestock and industry.
The meeting agreed to launch a
website for Egyptian returnees with their personal information, previous job
and specialisation. The website would also provide available job opportunities
in each governorate. In addition, a hotline will be launched in each
governorate dedicated to receiving complaints, inquiries, or proposals for
employment.