Egyptian security forces foiled on Sunday an attempt by 117 people to enter Libya illegally through the border with Marsa Matrouh governorate, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

The Matrouh security directorate says that the majority of those arrested were from Egyptian governorates including Cairo, Minya, Beheira, Sohag and Gharbiya, as well as four from Sudan and one from Eritrea.

Both Egypt and Libya are considered hotspots for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean for Europe.   

Libyan security forces said last month that the bodies of 16 migrants were found in the desert near the country’s border with Egypt.

The bodies were found about 310 km (190 miles) southwest of the coastal city of Tobruk, said Ahmed al-Mismari, spokesman for the eastern-based Libyan National Army.

In the past, patrols and rescuers have recovered the bodies of Egyptian migrants who have perished after being stranded or abandoned by smugglers in Libya’s eastern desert.

Some migrate to Libya to search for work, and some try to reach Europe by boat.