Sisi directs government to resume bringing home Egyptians stranded abroad

CAIRO- 18 April 2020: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi directed the government to resume its efforts in bringing back the Egyptian expatriates who are stranded abroad due to the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), said Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Radi in a statement.

President Sisi’s directives came during a meeting with Cabinet ministers on Friday to be updated on the latest government’s efforts to face the repercussions of the pandemic across the country.

“The meeting tackled the situation of non-residents of Egyptians who are stranded abroad,” Radi said, noting that the meeting attendants and the President discussed the precautionary and health measures taken by the government for the Egyptian returnees.

The president also was updated on the number of stranded people around the globe, Radi continued.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, Minister of State for Immigration and Egyptians' Affairs Abroad Nabila Makram, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Anani, and Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Enabah, the spokesperson added.

Since the suspension of international aviation on March 19, Egypt operated exceptional flights to bring home thousands of stranded Egyptians.

Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram told TV host Amr Adib on Friday that stranded Egyptians are classified into categories that are citizens who have been on business trips and tourism trips, were visiting relatives, and students who had to leave the dorms and have nowhere to stay.

The number of Egyptian expats recorded in 2019 14 million with 65 percent residing in the Arab Gulf.

Additional reporting by Noha El Tawil