![An Egyptian nation who arrived on the shores of Lampedusa in July is said to be the first person to undergo accelerated repatriation. Lampedusa, REUTERS - YARA NARDI [Image d'illustration].](https://scd.infomigrants.net/media/resize/my_image_small_freeb/408a79bdd5fceaf10a653f8bede00231a7ce3ad5.jpg)
Italy has sent back 23 Egyptian nationals to Cairo on a charter flight coordinated with Frontex and Egypt. All 23 are said to have been expelled from Italy and had criminal records for offenses against persons and property.
Italy has expelled 23 Egyptian nationals in a joint repatriation operation with the European Union's border and coast guard agency, Frontex.
Specialized personnel escorted the 23 Egyptians, Nova News reported Friday (August 28). According to the Italian news outlet, the expelled Egyptians have "criminal records and police records for crimes against persons and property." The report added that the operation was made possible with collaboration with the Cairo government, based on a migration cooperation deal which allows readmission, with the option of using charter flights, to send back Egyptian citizens who arrived in Italy through irregular means.
Under the agreement, identity verification procedures for individuals seeking readmission may be conducted on Egyptian territory.
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Lampedusa arrival reportedly first to undergo 'accelerated repatriation'
Of the Egyptian nationals, 19 had been kept in detention centers designed for repatriation (one in Caltanissetta-Pian del Lago on the island of Sicily, one in Gradisca d'Isonzo near the border with Slovenia, 13 in Milan-Corelli, two in Turin-Brunelleschi, one in Brindisi-Restinco, and one in Palazzo San Gervasio in southern Italy).
Two individuals were expelled by the Milan Police Headquarters, while the Varese and Messina Police Headquarters each ordered one expulsion, Nova News reported. The Egyptian national who arrived on the shores of the southern island of Lampedusa on July 7 and was subsequently expelled by the Messina Police Headquarters is the first person to undergo the "accelerated asylum and repatriation procedure" introduced under the new Migration and Asylum Pact last June, following the completion of the judicial phase, according to the report.
In 2026, including today’s operation, Italy has organized 16 charter repatriation operations to Egypt, resulting in the deportation of 381 foreign nationals. In 2025, a total of 18 charter operations were carried out, leading to the repatriation of 454 Egyptian citizens.