‘Pay or he dies’: the deadly price of hope for Egypt’s migrants

By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies

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.