Speaking on television Monday evening, El-Gohary said around 80 percent of irregular migration cases involving children are initiated by families. He added that the phenomenon has become a major concern for Egyptian authorities, particularly in cases involving Libya.
He noted that irregular migration, especially through Libya and cases of missing Egyptians there, is currently a top priority for the ministry. Some migrants are deported from Libya multiple times.
El-Gohary attributed the persistence of missing-person cases in Libya to the country’s ongoing instability since 2011, pointing out that the Egyptian community there is estimated at between one million and 1.5 million people.
He added that the ministry’s workload has increased significantly since merging the foreign affairs and migration portfolios, especially in migration management and the protection of Egyptians abroad.
Providing updated figures, El-Gohary said that since the beginning of 2025, more than 1,800 Egyptians have been deported from Libya. In eastern Libya, including Benghazi and border areas with Egypt, authorities have repatriated 163 bodies.
In western Libya, particularly Tripoli and its surrounding areas, more than 1,340 Egyptians have been deported, he said, adding that 143 citizens are scheduled to return to Cairo in the coming days.
He also noted that 1,157 Egyptians have been released from detention, while 253 bodies were transferred, bringing the total number of repatriated bodies from Libya since the start of 2025 to over 400.
El-Gohary said irregular migration networks often exploit both adults and minors, with some detainees held for more than five months before being deported.
Despite these challenges, he stressed that Egypt remains one of the countries with the lowest rates of irregular migration in the region. He noted that no irregular-migration boats have departed from Egypt’s shores for Europe since 2015.
He added that irregular migration is a growing global phenomenon, especially in regions affected by armed conflict and political instability.
Egypt has worked to contain irregular migration since launching its national strategy in 2016, emphasizing that the country will not serve as a transit route to Europe.
Since the strategy began, no irregular migration boats have left Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, even though the country hosts nearly 10 million foreign nationals, including refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from 133 countries.
The policy framework has evolved, most recently through the 2024–2026 national action plan adopted by the National Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons, which broadened prevention, protection, and enforcement measures.
Egypt’s approach also includes targeted development initiatives, such as the 2019 Lifeboats programme, which allocated EGP 250 million to create jobs in villages identified as high-risk for irregular migration.
At the international level, the European Union has supported Egypt’s approach, pledging 200 million euros in grants in March 2024 to support border management, search-and-rescue operations, and efforts to dismantle smuggling networks.
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