Ombudsman raises concern over EU migration deal with Egypt

The European Union's rights watchdog raised concern on Tuesday about the bloc's new 7.4 billion euro ($8.03 billion) agreement with Egypt that includes provisions to curb migration, saying it falls short on human rights safeguards.

The 27-nation EU has sealed similar pacts with Mauritania, Tunisia, Turkey and other countries since 2016 as it seeks to reduce irregular arrivals. Rights groups have sharply criticised those pacts as ignoring humanitarian law.

Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly said the issue of human rights should be taken into account before finalising any such cooperation, including outlining redress in case of violations.

"In relation to the fundamental rights issues regarding the various deals that are being done, well, tell us concretely what you're doing," she told a news conference, addressing the EU's executive Commission, which handles such...