The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had repatriated 1,379 nationals who had been detained by Libyan authorities in Tripoli and Benghazi between January 1 and the end of April 2026 on charges of illegal immigration.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that 508 Egyptian citizens who were detained in Tripoli and 871 citizens in Benghazi during the same period had been released and their return to the country secured, following their involvement in illegal immigration cases.

Follow-up on incidents of migrant boat sinkings

In the same context, the Foreign Ministry affirmed that it continues to follow up on incidents involving the sinking of some migrant boats carrying Egyptian citizens, with 94 bodies repatriated between January and April 2026, in addition to five remains identified through DNA analysis of citizens whose bodies were found off the Tunisian coast.

The statement urged citizens not to be lured by the illusions of illegal migration or to become involved with smuggling gangs, stressing the need to respect entry regulations for neighboring countries by obtaining a visa and a documented work contract.