Middle East conflict overshadows migration summit in Egypt

A high-level migration summit in Egypt has been overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as leaders warn of growing pressure on host countries and call for greater international support.

The meeting, held in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, brought together African ministers and stakeholders under the framework of the International Organization for Migration and the Global Compact for Migration, ahead of a global review forum in New York.

Chaired by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and IOM Director-General Amy Pope, the summit focused on improving migration governance across the continent. But discussions were dominated by the humanitarian and economic impact of regional instability.

Abdelatty voiced frustration over what he described as insufficient global support for countries hosting refugees.

Badr Abdelatty, Egyptian Foreign Minister: “We are completely dissatisfied with the level of international support being provided, not to help Egypt or Egyptians, but to help our refugee brothers and sisters who were forced by circumstances to flee their countries and communities and seek refuge here in Egypt.”

Egypt is a major host of refugees fleeing conflicts across the region, and officials say the burden has intensified as instability persists.

Despite the challenges, global migration leaders stressed the importance of managing migration as an opportunity rather than a crisis.

Amy Pope, IOM Director-General: “The opportunities, though, with migration are also significant. The world needs migration. In a planet where we are fighting significant challenges across the globe, finding safe, orderly, and regular ways for people to move, whether it’s because they need humanitarian protection, or whether it is because the world needs the dynamism, the labour mobility, the new ideas and innovation that migration brings.”

As conflicts continue to drive displacement, the summit underscored the urgent need for coordinated global action — balancing humanitarian support with long-term strategies to harness the benefits of migration.