Fleeing poverty and repression, with no plans for the longer term, an increasing number of Egyptians try to succeed in Europe, usually risking their lives like the handfuls caught within the current shipwreck in Greece.
“I spoke to my son for the final time on the night of seven June: he instructed me he was leaving” two days later, instructed AFP the daddy of a 14-year-old boy who disappeared when a dilapidated and overloaded trawler sank off the Peloponnese on the evening of 13-14 June.
“In our village, younger individuals commonly depart with out telling their households, and that is what occurred to us: I realized that my son had gone (…) to Libya, the place he stayed for 15 days earlier than setting sail”, continued the person, who refused to provide his identify.
Within the village of Naamna within the Nile Delta alone, the NGO Refugees Platform in Egypt (RPE) has recorded 13 lacking individuals, together with 9 minors.
In accordance with the authorities, 43 Egyptians survived. RPE, for its half, has acquired dozens of calls from households nonetheless with out information. In two villages within the province of al-Sharqiya alone, there have been greater than forty households.
To date, 82 our bodies have been recovered from the waters following this shipwreck, most likely one of many worst within the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, in accordance with the UN, between 400 and 750 passengers have been on board the trawler, together with girls and kids.
“We do not know what number of Egyptians have been on board and the authorities haven’t introduced the variety of lacking Egyptians,” Nour Khalil, director of RPE, instructed AFP.
Solely a talk-show host near the regime ventured to provide a determine: in accordance with him, 200 Egyptians have been on board.
The daddy of the younger man who disappeared continues to be ready for information.
“We went to the Ministry of International Affairs to take a DNA pattern”, he instructed AFP. However “we do not know something and no person is holding us knowledgeable”.
– A 3rd of unaccompanied minors –
Between January and Could, Frontex, the European border company, recorded 50,300 arrivals of migrants in Europe by way of the central Mediterranean, essentially the most harmful migratory route on the earth. Others have undoubtedly landed however haven’t been noticed.
In 2022, one in 5 migrants arriving in Italy was Egyptian, in accordance with the European Union Asylum Company (EUAA). In accordance with Rome, Egyptians are the most important group of arrivals in Italy, accounting for a 3rd of all unaccompanied minors.
Most of them, provides the EUAA, try to succeed in Italy from Libya to flee the worst financial disaster in Egypt’s historical past, but in addition the “human rights state of affairs” — “catastrophic” below President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, in accordance with the NGOs.
Cairo commonly presents itself as an anti-illegal immigration champion, demanding ever extra funds from the Europeans.
In June, French President Emmanuel Macron hailed “a vital accomplice of the European Union within the combat in opposition to unlawful immigration”, in accordance with the Egyptian Presidency.
Since 2016, no migrant boats have left the Egyptian coast. In August 2022, the European Fee introduced that it will present Egypt with an extra 80 million euros, particularly to finance “the surveillance of land and sea borders”.
– No future” –
However for Mr Khalil, “the militarisation of the borders just isn’t an answer”, it has merely “shifted the issue”, as Egyptians are actually taking to the ocean from Libya.
In Libya, the UN commonly denounces the “large arbitrary detentions” of “1000’s of migrant males, girls and kids rounded up within the streets or of their houses”.
Originally of June, Libyan media even relayed unauthenticated movies displaying practically a thousand Egyptians being expelled and compelled to cross the border on foot.
“The penalties for smugglers are more and more extreme, the coastguards are more and more armed” and NGOs haven’t any entry to those militarised areas, says Mr Khalil.
However all these limitations haven’t stopped the 13 Egyptians from the Naamna village from leaving, as a result of “so long as the brand new technology has no prospects for the longer term and no alternative to make its voice heard”, the departures will proceed, he asserts.
9 of them have been below 18 as a result of the profile of Egyptian migrants has modified.
“Earlier than, they used to go to Europe to work for a number of years, save up and return to Egypt to arrange a small enterprise,” explains Mr Khalil.
Right this moment, “the brand new technology would not need to come again to Egypt as a result of they suppose they haven’t any future there”.
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