Egypt's "Salvation Boats" initiative is making waves, reaching 30M views online and empowering young Egyptians to consider safe alternatives to illegal migration.
Egypt's "Salvation Boats" Initiative Achieves 30 Million Views on Social Media
Egypt's Minister of State for Migration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs, Sahar Gendy, presented the accomplishments of the "Salvation Boats" presidential initiative aimed at raising awareness about the risks of illegal migration and providing safe alternatives for Egyptian youth. The initiative includes various important elements such as awareness campaigns, vocational training, and job opportunities both domestically and internationally.
Minister Gendy mentioned that the "Salvation Boats" initiative was launched immediately after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's mandate during the closing of the third World Youth Forum in 2019. Since then, the Ministry has worked tirelessly, collaborating with various government entities and international organizations to combat illegal migration.
The Ministry executed the initiative in 72 villages across 14 governorates with the highest rates of illegal migration. The initiative aims to tackle all aspects of this complex issue, including awareness, training, and employment opportunities, with a focus on providing safe alternatives to young Egyptians considering migration.
Minister Gendy highlighted that the Ministry developed a variety of awareness programs, including 68 training programs with a total of 3,334 beneficiaries and 327 training programs to educate students in technical schools, youth, families, and young children with 8,377 beneficiaries. Additionally, vocational training programs were established, resulting in 237 programs with 5,829 participants.
Furthermore, the Egyptian-German Center for Jobs, Migration, and Reintegration, established by presidential decree number 51 in 2020, has contributed significantly. It cooperates with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to support the Egyptian component of the "Migration for Development" global project. The Center provided services to 28,754 individuals, including 225 who received job opportunities or training, totaling 29,822 services.
The Center's role includes counseling and guidance to help Egyptian youth find the right career path, offering job and training opportunities in Europe, integrating returnees into Egyptian society, and raising awareness about the risks of illegal migration while assisting those seeking migration information.
The success of the Ministry's media and promotional campaigns on social media to raise awareness about the "Salvation Boats" presidential initiative was evident, with approximately 30 million views. The official initiative song received 10 million views and followers. Five films aimed at conveying the risks of illegal migration were also produced.
In addition to online campaigns, the Ministry conducted door-to-door awareness efforts, mass meetings, and field visits in several governorates. Thirty-one mass meetings were conducted for 19,614 beneficiaries in nine governorates, with an additional 39 door-to-door campaigns in 183 villages, reaching 1,935,160 beneficiaries. Furthermore, 31 medical convoys served 6,291 beneficiaries in 13 governorates.
To reinforce the effort, the Ministry of Migration, in collaboration with the Ministries of Housing and Health, delivered 54 fishing boats to young fishermen in Aswan and Dakahlia governorates.
The Ministry developed awareness materials with the World Food Programme and created training manuals on raising awareness about illegal migration. Collaboration with the National Council for Women aims to provide alternative solutions for young women and raise awareness about illegal migration.
The Ministry also intends to promote its collaboration with the Academy of Arts, the first public university in Egypt, to include curricula that encourage artistic projects for young artists to address the issue of illegal migration through their talents.
This project will be a part of the Ministry's awareness campaign, with advertisements on the Ministry's social media platforms, radio, and television programs. Journalists and media outlets are encouraged to support the fight against illegal migration by broadcasting these messages.
