CAIRO: Cairo International Airport received Thursday 48 Egyptians deported from Italy after illegally arriving to its territories in fishing boats, Youm7 reported.
During interogation, the deported said that they had sailed in fishing boats from west Alexandria city and from the Libyan city of Zawara with dozens of Egyptians, Arab and Africans seeking migration to Italy, a security source at airport told Youm7.
The deported Egyptians arrived on a flight from Catania escorted by some 25 security personnel.
Italian coast guards routinely arrest migrants and deport them, amid a remarkable surge in the number of unregistered migrants leaving their countries to Europe for either better life or fleeing turmoil.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Wednesday that a boat carrying 470 unregistered migrants of different nationalities, including some 168 minors arrived on the island of Sicily.
Minister of Immigration Nabila Makram said Tuesday that a boat smuggling 560 Egyptian children had arrived at Italian coasts; most of the children are less than 11 years old.
Makram added that “Italy provides residence and shelters for minors, and teaches them crafts,” and that she is trying to reach out to all Egyptian migrants abroad through her connections with Egyptian laborers in Italy.