Egypt Monitors Citizens’ Situation After Boat Sinking in Greece

On Saturday, the Minister of State for Migration and Egyptians Abroad, Suha Jundi, announced that "Cairo is closely following the developments of the sinking incident of an illegal immigration boat off the Iranian coast in June 2023." The Egyptian official stated that she is monitoring "moment by moment, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian ambassador in Athens, the developments and special procedures that will be taken regarding the release of detained Egyptians. The ministry is also following up on all matters related to defending them and providing the necessary documents and papers, within the framework of ensuring the safety of Egyptian citizens and monitoring their conditions in all countries around the world." She pointed out the "distinguished relations between Egypt and Greece in various fields, especially in the area of combating illegal immigration." The boat was carrying about 700 people of different nationalities, with 42 Egyptian citizens surviving. Eight Egyptians were detained on charges of causing the sinking incident and participating in forming a human trafficking gang, but they were acquitted by a court in the city of Kalamata, Greece.