Rising Rates of Egyptian Emigration No Longer Limited to Laborers

The significant increase in Egyptian migration rates emerged as one of the serious social consequences of the military coup on July 3, 2013, led by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Despite concerns from the international community, especially Mediterranean countries like Italy and Greece, migration is observed among various segments of Egyptian society, including professionals like doctors, engineers, scientists, and the youth.

According to the Minister of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates' Affairs, Soha al-Gendy, during her visit to the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce in Alexandria on July 13, 2023, the number of Egyptians abroad reached 14 million expatriates, and migration rates continue to rise, encompassing businesspeople and workers from various sectors.

Her statements coincided with a report by the American Broadcasting Corporation, stating that Egypt topped the list of countries exporting irregular migration to Europe last year (2022), surpassing both Afghanistan and Syria."

The report revealed that Egyptians are increasingly seeking irregular migration to Europe, with nearly 22,000 Egyptian migrants recorded by the International Organization for Migration arriving in Europe, most of them through maritime routes.

The economic and political conditions, which have severely deteriorated in recent years under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's rule, have been cited as the driving force behind the thousands of men disappearing from impoverished rural villages in Egypt only to reappear in Libya on their way to Europe through human smuggling networks.

 

Young and Brain Drain

On January 27, 2023, the Arab Barometer Network issued a research report on the intentions and motivations behind migration in Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa based on a random sample of over 33,000 individuals from 14 countries.

The research revealed that 30% of the population in these countries seek migration for various reasons, including economic, political, security, and educational factors. Egypt topped the list of Arab countries, with its youth expressing a migration desire rate of 97%.

The Arab Barometer stated that the desire among Egyptian youth to migrate has been on an upward trend compared to previous years. Notably, there is a unique form of migration experienced by Egypt, which is the emigration of prominent scholars and intellectuals.

On October 28, 2019, the Egyptian Expatriates Union released statistics based on data from the United Nations Statistical Division, indicating that the number of Egyptian scientists and academics abroad is approximately 86,000.

Among them, 1,883 specialize in rare nuclear fields, 42 are leading universities worldwide, and there is a Minister of Scientific Research in Canada, along with three members in the United Nations Development Programme's Council out of a total of 16.

However, 70% of this emigration has occurred since 2013, following the suppression of the democratic experiment in Egypt and the erosion of the gains of the January 25, 2011 revolution.

On October 28, 2022, the local newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported that according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, 63% of Egyptian immigrants serve in Western countries, positively impacting their economies.

These migrants have contributed intellectually, scientifically, occupationally, culturally, and socially, enriching the scientific life there and propelling them to the forefront, thanks to their discoveries, studies, inventions, creativity, and innovations.

The article emphasized that these minds should have been used to foster a suitable environment that helps them produce and create rather than pushing them toward migration.

 

Exodus of Doctors

On February 27, 2023, the Egyptian Ministry of Health published a report stating that during the year 2022, over 4,300 Egyptian doctors working in government hospitals had submitted their resignations at a rate of 13.5 doctors per day.

The emigration of Egyptian doctors has resulted in a significant shortage of healthcare professionals in the country, a concern confirmed by the World Health Organization.

According to the organization, the doctor-to-population ratio in Egypt does not exceed 7 per 10,000 individuals, much lower than the recommended minimum of 10 doctors per 10,000 people.

As of 2019, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate had registered 220,000 doctors, with 120,000 of them working abroad, meaning that 60% of Egyptian doctors are expatriates.

Abdulrahman Ashour, an Egyptian doctor residing in Germany, had previously mentioned the increase in Arab doctors, including Egyptians, migrating to Germany in 2019.

He cited data from the German Federal Medical Association, which indicated that there were around 11,000 Arab doctors working in Germany by the end of 2019, with 1,549 of them being Egyptians, representing an increase of 188 doctors compared to 135 in 2018.

Moreover, approximately 10% of the annual graduates from Egyptian medical colleges currently migrate to England, which raises concerns about the overall number of doctors leaving the country for other parts of the world.

The emigration of doctors remains a pressing issue in Egypt, with their syndicate repeatedly warning about the adverse conditions that push them to leave, particularly during Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's rule.

The crisis also extends to pharmacists, with 76% of Egyptian pharmacists expressing a desire to migrate.

Former Egyptian Immigration Minister, Nabila Makram, remarked during a television interview on August 9, 2019, during her visit to Canada, that the number of Egyptians residing abroad, across various professions, such as doctors, engineers, and pharmacists, was significant.

She noted that 40% of pharmacists in Canada are Egyptians.

The emigration of engineers is another significant aspect of this trend. On September 13, 2022, their syndicate, in collaboration with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (a government entity), revealed that their proportion to the population in Egypt far exceeds the global average, with one engineer for every 8.5 citizens, compared to the worldwide average of one engineer per 200 individuals.

Approximately 20% of engineering graduates in Egypt are seeking employment abroad, either temporarily migrating to Gulf countries or permanently to Europe and Latin America, constituting the largest proportion.

Commenting on this rate, the head of the Engineers Syndicate, Tarek el-Nabarawy, stated, "Unemployment may be a driving factor for emigration, a phenomenon that has been on the rise in recent years and was not prevalent before."

He emphasized that a crisis is already evident, and it is likely to worsen in the ranks of Egyptian engineers.

As an indicator of the severity of the crisis, some young engineers are approaching the syndicate to request cancellation of their membership and then proceeding with emigration, posing a clear danger, according to el-Nabarawy.

Karim Ammar, an Egyptian programmer residing in the United States, expressed, "Emigration is the natural outcome of Egypt's conditions over the past ten years. There is no prospect for a prosperous life and a bright future, as claimed by the regime and its supporters."

He added, "The only anticipated future is for those in military uniforms and those close to security agencies, such as judges and prosecutors, while there is no place for doctors, scientists, or others."

Ammar continued, "Emigration shortens long distances in life, and despite its challenges, it spares one from greater and more dangerous hardships in their homeland."

For instance, the salary of a professional programmer in Egypt does not exceed 20,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $647), while a professional programmer in the United States may earn up to $40,000 or more depending on the company and institution they work for.

In conclusion, while emigration rates for skilled professionals from the Arab world are significant, in Egypt, they are even higher, which is noticeable in many countries.

Egyptians are more prevalent and have outnumbered even those from the Arab Maghreb, who used to be dominant in the past.