A thematic meeting under the French Chairmanship of the Khartoum Process was held in Aswan, Egypt, bringing together 55 representatives from Member States, alongside the African Union, European Union, international organisations, civil society, academia, and the private sector. Hosted by Egypt and co-hosted by France, the meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation on legal migration pathways between Africa and Europe. MSM was invited to present the MOBILISE experience at the conference.

Building on Domain 2 of the Cairo Action Plan, discussions focused on translating political commitments into practical and inclusive solutions. Project Manager Stefano Locatelli presented (online) the experience from the first 2 intakes of the MOBILISE program during the Session IV: Faclitating Legal Mobility Pahways through Education and Special Events. In this meeting, Stefano highlighted how the international cooperation between higher education institutes in Europe and in Africa can offer pathways for international mobility of young talents, what the lessons learnt are so far, the opportunities and challenges, etc…

Participants reaffirmed legal migration as a strategic pillar of Africa-Europe partnerships, while acknowledging that existing pathways remain underutilised. Challenges such as fragmented systems, administrative complexity, limited recognition of skills, and gaps in trusted information continue to hinder effective mobility.

Education-based mobility such as scholarships, academic exchanges, and vocational training was highlighted as a particularly promising and scalable pathway. At the same time, participants stressed the need to improve outreach and communication, as misinformation and lack of awareness can increase vulnerability to irregular migration.

The meeting concluded that the key challenges lie in the accessibility, scalability, and effective implementation of legal pathways, strengthening skills-based mobility, improving information systems, and fostering closer collaboration with employers were identified as essential next steps.