Migrants wait to disembark from the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship MV Phoenix in the Sicilian harbour of Messina, Italy July 15, 2015 (Reuters)
Egyptian authorities have deported to Khartoum 20 Sudanese citizens attempting to illegally migrate to Europe, the state news agency MENA reported.
They were arrested in Marsa Matrouh governorate located near Egypt's borders with Libya.
Libya's Mediterranean shores is a destination for many people from Africa and the Middle East attempting to travel to Europe in search of a better life.
Italy has been a frequent destination for migrants.
On 16 July, 36 Sudanese citizens were also deported from Egypt to Khartoum.
On the same day, Egypt's border guards stopped 184 people near Salloum City in Marsa Matrouh as they attempted to cross into Libya illegally, including Sudanese and also Egyptians from underprivileged Upper Egypt governorates.
Several European officials have visited Egypt recently to discuss cooperation efforts with Egyptian authorities to combat illegal immigration.
On Tuesday, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni met with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo to tackle several issues including combatting terrorism and the Libyan crisis in addition to solutions for the increasing numbers of illegal immigrants.
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