Minister of Emigration and Expatriates Affairs Nabila Makram said Egypt has managed to repatriate 80 thousand trapped citizens after worldwide lockdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic crisis.

In an interview with the private satellite TV channel, Sada el Balad, on Thursday night, Makram affirmed that Egyptian expats could easily contact her in person, either through social network pages, email, or phone from anywhere in the world, adding that her phone number is available for the expats to contact her around the clock in case of any emergencies.

Egypt is against illegal migration, the minister stressed, noting that President Abdel Fattah El Sisi declared in 2016 that all the Egyptian State has managed to block any illegal migrant boats from sailing from the Egyptian coasts.

In a preemptive move, the government launched “Lifeboats” initiative in 2019, which helped to provide job opportunities in villages seeing significant levels of illegal emigration and raise public awareness on the risks of falling victims to human trafficking gangs.

She pointed out that Minya, in Upper Egypt, topped the list of the governorates with the highest tally of illegal migrants, followed by those of Gharbiya, Kafr el Sheikh, and Fayyoum. But the country was successfully able to contain such practices, thanks to the initiatives of Decent Life and Lifeboats, she went on to say.

Source: State Information Service Egypt