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Egypt Frees Over 1,300 Citizens Detained in Libya Over Irregular Migration
May 10, 2026
Posted 2 hours ago by
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday, 10 May, that it secured the release of 1,379 Egyptian nationals detained in Libya on irregular migration charges during the first four months of 2026, as Cairo intensifies efforts to manage a persistent and often deadly flow of citizens attempting to reach Europe through North Africa. In a statement, the ministry said 508 detainees held in Tripoli and 871 held in Benghazi were released and returned home between January and April, in coordination with Libyan authorities.
The ministry also said 94 bodies were repatriated during the same period, victims of shipwrecks involving boats carrying Egyptian migrants, along with the remains of five additional citizens identified through DNA analysis after their bodies were recovered off the Tunisian coast. Egypt has long been a major source country for irregular migrants attempting the treacherous Mediterranean crossing, often through Libya, where smuggling networks operate with near impunity amid the country’s prolonged political fragmentation. The ministry renewed its appeal to citizens to resist “the illusions of irregular migration” and warned against engaging with trafficking networks, urging Egyptians instead to enter neighboring countries only with valid visas and documented workContinue reading Egypt Frees Over 1,300 Citizens Detained in Libya Over Irregular Migration The post Egypt Frees Over 1,300 Citizens Detained in Libya Over Irregular Migration first appeared on Egyptian Streets.
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