http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/24/world/middleeast/egypt-migrants-boat.html 2016-09-23 22:02:21 Egypt Recovers Over 160 Bodies From Sunken Migrant Boat The boat was carrying more than 400 people, most young Egyptian men, and the death toll is expected to rise, officials said. === CAIRO — The Egyptian authorities said Friday that they had recovered 162 bodies after the sinking of a ship full of mostly Egyptian migrants in the Mediterranean this week. The death toll, which is expected to rise to nearly 300, reflects the mounting economic pressure on Egyptians as well as a possible shift away from The “That’s why this is a disaster,” said a police spokesman, Tarek Attiya. “They are just kids who wanted to work.” Four men have been arrested in connection with the smuggling operation, Mr. Attiya said. The number of Egyptians who are risking their lives to cross to Europe has risen sharply over the last two years, according to the International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental agency. “There has been an uptick,” said Joel Millman, a spokesman for the agency. “ Among young people in Egypt, a third are unemployed and half live under the poverty line, according to official statistics. The country’s economy has suffered a series of disruptions since the uprising in 2011 that ended the presidency of Hosni Mubarak. Egypt’s vital tourism industry has all but disappeared. In The country’s economic woes may also be pushing African migrants already in Egypt to risk the passage to Europe. Some migrants may also be seeking transit from Egypt because smugglers using the shorter route from “We really do believe Libya is at full capacity,” he added, noting that Libyan smugglers appear to be on track to match last year’s level of about 150,000 departures even though a shortage of boats is forcing them to rely on smaller and less seaworthy crafts. “This could just be a tipping point from Libya to Egypt,” he said. The Egyptian authorities have arrested more than 4,600 foreigners — mostly from nearby African countries — for trying to depart across the Mediterranean so far this year, according to the More than 300,000 people have tried to cross the Mediterranean this year from various countries. About 3,500 have died or are listed as missing, the refugee agency said.