20 Sudanese deported from Cairo

Egyptian authorities deported 20 Sudanese nationals to Sudan via Cairo airport on Saturday. They were arrested while trying to illegally cross the border into Libya. From the Libyan coast, fishing boats filled with immigrants leave for Italy.

A security official disclosed to the Egyptian newspaper El Fadjer that the airport security said the Sudanese arrived in the security section of Mersa Matruh. The Sudanese Embassy issued travel documents to them there as they lacked passports, and then deported the group to Khartoum.

The same source pointed out that dozens of Egyptians and citizens of other African countries were also deported last week. They were attempting to across the western border of Egypt into Libya, from there they intended to travel to Italy in fishing boats.

Political instability and wars in the Horn of Africa make the region volatile and insecure, driving large number of people to quit their countries and cross to Sudan into Egypt and Libya, seeking to join Europe, Canada and the US. This situation also created a market for smugglers and traffickers who request large amounts of money to facilitate their departure to their final destination.

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