Egypt

19 June 2024

By May 2024, Egypt was hosting at least 500,000 refugees from Sudan, who fled the conflict that started in April 2023 between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces. By 31 May, more than 367,000 refugees were registered with UNHCR. The majority were hosted in urban areas in Alexandria, Aswan, and Cairo governorates. Most lacked proper documentation and legal status and faced significant protection issues, including detention and deportation risks. Entry and residence regulations, such as the visa requirements that the Egyptian authorities started requiring on 10 June 2023, complicate the refugees’ legal status and restrict their ability to seek asylum. The process of securing and renewing residence permits inside Egypt is considered complex, limiting refugees’ access to essential services and goods, including shelter, food, health services, and education. (UNHCR 29/05/2024, TNH 25/04/2024, Le Monde 16/04/2024)

17 July 2023

Sudanese refugees in Egypt need shelter and housing assistance given the rise in rent prices. The increased demand for accommodation following an influx of refugees from Sudan has led landlords to raise rent prices for refugees. Refugees unable to pay are asked to leave or face electricity and water cuts. (The New Arab 17/07/2023, MEMO 17/07/2023)

16 June 2023

More than 120,000 Sudanese people are trapped on the Egyptian border in Wadi Halfa city and are unable to receive the visas needed to enter Egypt. Most lost have lost their travel documents, such as passports, because of conflict or are unable to have them renewed after expiry. They need documentation assistance to seek asylum in Egypt. (AP 16/06/2023

11 June 2023

Restrictions for people fleeing Sudan through Egypt’s southern border crossings, Argeen and Qustol, have increased following new regulations imposed by the Government. Starting 10 June, all people seeking refuge from Sudan are required to obtain a visa, regardless of their age, gender, or nationality. Women, children under 16, and elderly people over 60 previously did not require visas. In Wadi Halfa on the Sudanese side, access to passports and emergency travel documents has been further limited, and people queuing for visas outside the Egyptian consulate were attacked by Sudanese police on 12 June. Conditions at the border crossing are deteriorating with long delays, high temperatures, and a lack of food, water, and WASH facilities. As at 28 May, over 210,000 Sudanese nationals have fled to Egypt since the start of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in April. The new arrivals in Egypt need mental health and psychosocial support, legal assistance, and healthcare services. (UNHCR 09/06/2023, Al Jazeera 11/06/2023, Egyptian Streets 12/06/2023)

04 May 2023

Between 15 April and 7 May 2023, over 65,000 Sudanese people crossed the Qustul border into Egypt, mostly into Aswan province. 300,000 Sudanese people are estimated to enter Egypt in the next six months. Transportation costs to reach the Egyptian borders have increased tenfold, reaching USD 400. People have experienced many delays in crossing to Egypt because of immigration officials’ procedures, with the added difficulty of travelling without food, water, or healthcare services. Elderly people have been the most vulnerable, and at least one person has died at the border. New arrivals need food, water, shelter, NFIs, and healthcare services. They also need psychosocial support because of high stress levels after escaping the conflict and taking on a difficult journey. As at March, Egypt hosted more than 290,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including nearly 60,000 people from Sudan. (MEE 27/04/2023, HI 04/05/2023, UNHCR 18/03/2023)

15 March 2023

An estimated 66% of the 145,000 Syrian refugees in Egypt lived below the national poverty line in 2022. They struggle to make ends meet because of difficulties in accessing formal employment and the deteriorating economic situation. They live in overcrowded neighbourhoods, mainly in Alexandria, Cairo, Giza, Kalyoubia, and Sharkia governorates.

Access to formal employment and basic services is restricted because of legal challenges in obtaining residency permits. Refugees often work in the informal sector, facing low wages, unsafe working conditions, and little job security. They are among the most impacted groups by the economic crisis, alongside low- and average-income Egyptian households.

Inflation rates in February reached nearly 32% – the highest in five years, up from 26.5% in January. The prices of some food items such as bread and grains, meat, seafood, and dairy products have increased, affecting access to food for Syrian refugees and asylum seekers.
(ILO 17/11/2022, UNHCR 15/03/2023, The New Arab 09/03/2023, Reuters 10/01/2023,UNHCR accessed 22/03/2023)