CAIRO — The European Union on Sunday announced a 7.4 billion-euro aid package for cash-strapped Egypt as concerns mount that economic pressure and conflicts in neighboring countries could drive more migrants to European shores.The deal, which drew criticism from rights groups over Egypt’s human rights record, was signed Sunday afternoon in Cairo by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Egypt says there are 9 million migrants in the country, including about 480,000 who are registered refugees and asylum-seekers with the U.N. refugee agency. Many of those migrants have established their own businesses, while others work in the huge informal economy as street vendors and house cleaners.For decades, Egypt has been a refuge for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa trying to escape war or poverty.