Egypt
The call came from Libya: pay $4,000 immediately, or the boy dies at sea. For Youssef Ibrahim, whose 18-year-old brother Hamdy had vanished after contacting smugglers online, there was no choice. "Returning meant death. There was no way back," another relative told AFP.
Weeks later, families learned their sons' boat had capsized near Crete. Seventeen died, including six from this Nile Delta village.
Fifteen remain missing—among them Hamdy and Mohamed Gouda, whose brother Abed pleads: "All we want to know where they are."
Why they risk everything
With Egypt's currency losing two-thirds of its value since 2022, young men see no future. Plumber Hamdy earned just $10 weekly.
"All the young are thinking of irregular immigration—starting at 14," said pharmacist Refaat Abdelsamad.
Last year, over 17,000 Egyptians crossed the Mediterranean, while 1,328 perished on the world's deadliest route.
"People need to feel secure in their homes," said analyst Timothy Kaldas. Until then, the boats keep coming.
00:58
Over 20,000 Ethiopian Migrants cross into Djibouti in three weeks
01:55
Comoros: Foreign workers struggle in the wake of new law
02:03
Three European lawmakers say humanitarian situation in Ceuta is 'grim'
01:30
Ebola surveillance expands beyond DR Congo borders as IOM steps up efforts
01:15
130,000 displaced by Houthi advance in Yemen, says IOM
01:04
Major investigation reveals scale and opacity of US deportations to Africa