As many as 357 Egyptians have returned home from Libya over the past 24 hours via Salloum border crossing.

Out of all 357, 251 Egyptians entered and left Libya with valid papers, while the rest had illegally entered the North African nation, said Matrouh security chief Hisham Lotfi on Tuesday.

Meantime, departure procedures for 688 passengers, including 186 Egyptians and 502 Libyans were finalized.

Egypt exerts utmost efforts to control its border with war-torn Libya to prevent smuggling and illegal migration.