CAIRO, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it had secured the release and return of more than 1,300 Egyptian nationals held in Libya over illegal migration cases.
The ministry said in a statement that among them, 508 Egyptian citizens had been detained in Tripoli and 871 others in Benghazi, from early January to late April, after being involved in illegal migration.
Meanwhile, the ministry said it had continued to follow up on incidents involving the sinking of illegal migration boats carrying Egyptian citizens.
It added that 94 bodies of Egyptian nationals were repatriated between January and April, along with the remains of five individuals identified through DNA testing after being found off the Tunisian coast.
The ministry renewed its appeal to citizens "not to be drawn into the illusions of illegal migration or become involved with smuggling gangs," urging Egyptians to respect entry rules to neighboring countries.
A Foreign Ministry statement said Egypt's 2025 diplomacy in Libya facilitated the deportation of over 3,000 migrants, secured the release of 1,200 detainees, and repatriated 300 bodies following fatal sea incidents. ■