ISTANBUL

A second group of Syrians has departed Egypt for their home country via the eastern Nuweiba Port, according to Egyptian authorities.

In a statement, the Red Sea Ports Authority confirmed that 63 Syrians left the country aboard a ferry heading back to Syria.

“They were transported by buses from their residences in Cairo to the port by a Jordanian company, and all inspection and passport procedures were completed at the port,” the statement added.

The ferry will take the returnees to Jordan’s Aqaba Port, where they will continue their journey to the Jaber Border Crossing into Syria, the statement noted.

On December 29, the first group of 40 Syrians left Egypt through Nuweiba Port to Aqaba, then traveled overland to Syria.

Egypt is home to over 792,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers from 62 different nationalities, according to data from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. However, semi-official figures suggest that the total number of refugees in Egypt is approximately 9 million, including around 1.5 million Syrians.

Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia following the fall of Damascus to anti-regime groups on December 8, marking the end of the Baath Party’s rule, which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover occurred after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a swift offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar