The Egyptian army announced that it had detained 45 Egyptians who were attempting to migrate to Europe by sea. The migrants were apprehended near the coastal city of Salloum, close to Egypt’s border with Libya.
In a statement, the army reported that its naval forces successfully rescued a boat involved in illegal migration, carrying 45 individuals, 96 nautical miles from Salloum in Matrouh Governorate, as part of ongoing maritime search and rescue operations across all strategic areas.
The General Command of the Armed Forces in Egypt confirmed that it had issued orders to assist the vessel after receiving a distress signal from the boat, which was transporting individuals attempting to migrate irregularly.
The rescued migrants were subsequently handed over to the authorities for further processing.
Faced with poverty, unemployment, and rising living costs, many young Egyptians view irregular migration from Libya’s coast as their best hope for a brighter future, despite the risks involved and the involvement of illicit smuggling networks that organise such perilous journeys.