At least 14 Egyptians have died and 13 more are unaccounted for after a migrant boat sank off the Greek coast, the Egyptian embassy in Athens said on Tuesday.
Egypt's ambassador Amr Amer said the embassy was following up with the Greek authorities on the incident. He added that the bodies of the dead have been identified and will be returned to Egypt. The embassy published a list on Facebook of the names of the 14, of whom 10 are from Sharqiya province.
The embassy said five people of other nationalities were also missing. Diplomatic officials offered condolences to the families of the dead and issued a warning to Egyptians against attempting illegal migration.
The embassy said it was in contact with the families of the missing to notify them of any information available about their relatives.
It is not clear from where the boat set sail. Libya has in recent years become the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.
Young Egyptians are increasingly resorting to illegal migration – driven primarily by severe unemployment, economic hardship, low wages and lack of opportunities – seeking a better life in Europe, often attempting dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossings set up by people smugglers, despite enormous risks to life.
Poverty pushes families to encourage relatives to undertake these perilous journeys in the hope of future remittances.
