Egypt occupies the tenth place among countries that see irregular migrants travel to Italy, which is symptomatic of a rising trend in Egyptian emigration since the 2011 uprising, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a recent statement. In the first five months of 2016, a total of 1,815 Egyptian irregular migrants landed on Italian shores. Of those migrants, 1,147 were unaccompanied migrant children, making Egypt the top country to see unaccompanied minors arrive in Italy. The year 2011 saw almost 2,000 migrants arrive in Italy with the number increasing each year to peak at 4,095 irregular migrants in 2014. Irregular Egyptian migrants are also setting their eyes on Greek shores, IOM reports. In 2015, almost 1,000 Egyptian migrants reached Greece, a huge increase from the 238 who arrived to the country in 2011. "Egypt's economic growth is insufficient to absorb labour market entrants, in turn resulting in high unemployment prompting youth to find work opportunities abroad," IOM Egypt head Amr Taha said in the statement. The IOM provides assistance for irregular migrants wishing to return to Egypt. Since 2012, the organisation provided voluntary return and reintegration assistance to 1,269 Egyptians returning mainly from Germany, Greece and the Netherlands. However, according to IOM, few Egyptians who migrate to Italy return to their homeland. source: Ahram Online
