Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs Minister Nabila Makram began on Monday a tour of Minya governorate to warn of the risks of illegal immigration of children.

The tour, to include a number of villages in Minya, is part of a campaign adopted by the ministry with the aim of decreasing the number of unaccompanied Egyptian minors exploited through the illegal immigration to Europe and raise awareness on the matter.

The minister, in statements to MENA, said she will visit the families whose children have migrated illegally to talk about the hazards facing them in the countries they immigrate to.

The migration of minors is considered a national security issue, she said.

In September, the EU Ambassador to Egypt James Moran said more than 60% of Egyptian migrants to Italy were children and minors.