CAIRO,
September 4 (IslamOnline.net) - Arab League Secretary General Amr
Moussa called on Arab governments to cooperate with the pan-Arab
organization in setting up an observatory for Arab expatriates around
the world, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.
The
mission of the proposed body, according to Moussa, is to spotlight
distinguished expatriates in all scientific and political fields and
link them to their homeland to benefit from their diverse expertise.
Addressing
the three-day regional conference on Arab immigration, which kicked
off Tuesday, Moussa pressed for according more popular and official
attention to the issue of Arab expatriates, especially those assuming
vital positions in the United States and Europe.
He
exhorted Arab governments to turn the issue of immigration into a
mechanism for positive interaction through setting up an observatory
to provide information about distinguished Arabs occupying key
scientific and political positions.
The
mooted observatory would help link Arab expatriates together and be a
bridge between them and their homeland, Moussa elaborated.
Meanwhile,
the Arab League chief criticized European countries for tightening
restrictions on Arab immigration, while expanding the European Union
to include new members.
Difficult
On
his part, Ambassador Gamal El-Din Bayoumi, architect of
Egyptian-European association file and a conference participant, told
IslamOnline.net on Wednesday, September 3, that "the issue of
Arab expatriates in Europe and the U.S. is one of the most important
for Arab governments."
He
added that Arab governments face great difficulty in determining the
number of Arab immigrants living abroad and their specialties, except
for known figures in the U.S., where the Arab community numbers three
millions, with some assuming high-level positions in the American
decision-making institution.
Despite
efforts by Arab governments, Bayoumi pointed out, there is still
deficiency with regard to benefiting from expatriates’ potentials.
"Governments
forgot expatriates were nationals who can be employed in local
development projects."
Regarding
the numbers of Arabs living in Europe, the Egyptian diplomat said
north African countries, particularly Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco,
have the biggest numbers of immigrants.
According
to estimates, there are about 10 million Arab expatriates living in
European countries, with some five million in France alone.
Around
250 prominent Arab figures living abroad and officials from the
international Immigration Organization as well as nine Arab ministers
of immigration are taking part in the three-day conference.
