AL chief urges to solve Arab immigrant, refugee issue

CAIRO, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said on Wednesday that Arab immigrant and refugee issue should be given priority on the international agenda.

Aboul-Gheit made the remarks during a meeting in Cairo with Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Laura Thompson.

The Secretary-General stressed that IOM, as an international organization, has to ensure that host countries comply with their obligations towards the Arab immigrants, noting that those migrants are victims of human trafficking.

The Arab region is the source of international migration due to the ongoing military conflicts in many Arab countries, with Palestinians constituting half of the world refugees.