Egypt views refugees as both a problem and an opportunity

In easier times for Egyptian refugees, Azza Mostafa, a pro-government TV presenter, had nothing but generous words for the thousands of Syrians who have built a new life in Egypt after… Their country has exploded To the civil war in 2011.

She said: “I would like to say to our Syrian families and our brothers in Egypt Broadcast 2019“You truly brought light to Egypt.”

But she was on her show in June criticizing the growing number of outsiders in Egypt, an echo of the country’s leaders, whose policies toward refugees and migrants have hardened as they grapple with refugees. Economic crisis It was exacerbated by the wars in Gaza, Sudan and neighboring Libya.

“This has become unbearable” Mrs. Mustafa saidHe accused the immigrants of raising rents and promoting female genital mutilation. “There are many acts of crossing the border. Is this acceptable? After we opened our country to them?”

Egypt has long made it easier for foreigners of all types to live and work in the country, largely without interference, whether they are refugees, migrant workers or Westerners fleeing coronavirus lockdowns.

The past thirteen years have brought an almost constant stream of new arrivals fleeing conflict to the country known among Arabs as “Mother of the World.” This includes not only Syrians, but also Sudanese, Yemenis, Eritreans, and, more recently, Palestinians from Gaza.

Egypt’s lax immigration rules meant that many were neither formally registered as refugees nor given official permission to stay for long, yet they were able to integrate almost easily into the country, support themselves, and sometimes start businesses.

since Civil war in Sudan led a A wave of refugees However, to Egypt starting in 2023, the poor government in Cairo complained louder and louder about the burden imposed by foreigners. It quickly tightened its policies — hoping, analysts and diplomats say, to win more support from international backers keen to prevent migration to their countries.

Egypt says it spends $10 billion annually on its nine million refugees, according to officials and government-controlled media (although experts say both figures are greatly exaggerated), all while Egyptians Afford high prices And reduce support.

Years of wasteful government spending, dependence on imports, and policies that neglected private sector growth left the country’s finances in a parlous state before the wars in Ukraine and Gaza caused their collapse. Egypt loses $7 billion in vital revenue from the Suez Canal in 2024, as did the Gaza conflict. Shipping in the Red Sea shrinksaccording to government officials.

As Egypt fell deeper into debt and struggled to pay for imports such as wheat and energy, the currency collapsed, while some goods became difficult to find.

Ahmed Abu Al-Yazid, head of the government-owned sugar company, Delta Sugar Company, blamed refugees for the sugar shortage, which experts link to the economic crisis. The president accused them of draining Egypt’s precious water. On social media, pro-government accounts – some of which appeared fake – accused Sudanese refugees of raising rents and promoting female genital mutilation.

These accusations were quickly followed by a crackdown, according to migrants, refugees and their advocates.

It was the Sudanese refugees approximation In police raids, arrests and summary deportations. Syrians who had lived in Egypt for years were asked to pay thousands of dollars to stay. Despite this, many are still reluctant to return The fall of the Assad regime Next December until the situation stabilizes.

Foreign workers from Asia and other parts of Africa now Facing additional obstacles To maintain their legal status, in some cases, they were arrested and forced to pay high fees, advocates say.

Last month, Egypt passed a law that would transfer responsibility for screening refugees and others to the government, rather than the UN refugee agency.

Government officials said this measure would guarantee a wide range of refugee rights. But critics of the move said it would become… Much more difficult For refugees to obtain protection or access to health care and schools. The law also enables the government to revoke refugee status for vague reasons such as disturbing national security, political activity, or violating Egyptian social customs.

Abu Saleh, 32, a Syrian who works in a small grocery store in Cairo, said he lived in the city for 13 years “without a single case” until he discovered in July that he could no longer enroll his son in school without a residence permit. .

He said that just to renew his family’s tourist visas, he was told that he would have to return to Syria and pay a fee of $2,000 per person, a process he would have to repeat every six months.

“Egypt was there for us the whole time,” said Abu Saleh, who asked to be identified by the name he uses around the city to avoid potential repercussions. “I would like to appeal to the Egyptian government: Give us residency, even if it is a little expensive. We are facing difficult circumstances.”

Egypt did not clarify its strict stance towards foreigners. But analysts and immigrant advocates link it to the economic crisis that has generated widespread bitterness And undermining the rule of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Human rights groups say the new arrivals are a scapegoat for the hardships faced by Egyptians. Immigration fees, which are charged in dollars, can provide Egypt with some much-needed foreign currency. Human rights groups say foreigners also constitute valuable pawns in Egypt’s quest for more financial support from its international partners.

“They are thinking: How can these people be useful to the government?” said Nour Khalil, executive director of the Egypt Refugee Platform, which advocates for migrant rights.

United Nations refugee agency They number about 818,000 registered refugees In Egypt, who are entitled to public health care and free education. There are likely many more unregistered refugees, although analysts and aid workers doubt the number is as high as nine million.

Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty said in a press conference last month that the benefits that registered refugees receive mean that Egypt “treats them like Egyptians, even though we are not a rich country.” There is no country in the world that bears these responsibilities and challenges like here in Egypt. “We don’t have one refugee camp – they are fully integrated into society.”

Refugee advocates agree that Egypt needs more resources. Unlike other countries in the region, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, where the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union have spent billions to support refugees, Egypt has not received significant funds to help shelter Syrian or other refugees.

This is changing.

While the war in Gaza affected Egypt’s public finances, so did its Western backers They rushed to help EgyptAnalysts and diplomats say that Egypt is keen to prevent an economic collapse in the most populous country in the Arab world. An incident in Egypt could further destabilize the Middle East and send a flood of migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe, where there is a large popular mobilization. Pressure to restrict immigration.

The European Union pledged quick steps An aid package worth $8 billion To Egypt in March, repeating Deals The bloc has concluded agreements with Mauritania, Tunisia, and Turkey to fund immigration enforcement in those countries.

Other backers, including the International Monetary Fund, sent billions more stability Economy of Egypt.

Critics say that the European agreement with Egypt, like other migration agreements concluded by the European Union, is so Enabling rights violations By rewarding Mr Sisi’s authoritarianism and perhaps funding the current crackdown on migrants.

Groups including Amnesty International and the Refugee Platform in Egypt have done so Documenting what they say is a pattern From the mass arbitrary arrests and illegal deportation of Sudanese refugees – some of whom were detained while being smuggled across the border, and others were arrested during random raids in predominantly Sudanese neighbourhoods.

Mr. Khalil from the Refugee Platform said that some Syrians had also been expelled. He added that his group also documented more than 50 arrests of foreign workers, some of whom had residency, and were detained until they paid $1,000 in fees and fines.

An atmosphere of fear has pushed crowds of Sudanese to the doorstep of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees headquarters in Cairo, in search of official protection. But obtaining refugee status could take months, if not years: dates to start the process are not available until late 2025. Some Sudanese who have been detained and deported carry a form of UN identification, Mr. Khalil said, casting doubt on what If the organization is able to guarantee security.

Among those waiting outside one morning was Mohamed Abdel Wahab, 36 years old. When he and his family tried to cross the border from Sudan this spring, Egypt had imposed severe restrictions on free-flowing movement between the two countries, so they turned to smugglers. instead of.

Without legal papers, Mr. Abdel Wahab and his 14-year-old son Muhannad collected plastic bottles on the streets of Cairo to earn a living. Mr. Abdul Wahab was looking for a better job one day in June when Muhannad disappeared.

Twenty days later, Muhannad resurfaced with a message via WhatsApp: He and a group of other Sudanese had been arrested and deported.

Mr. Abdul Wahab was looking for Muhannad in another city. When he returned to Cairo, his wife and three other children were expelled for non-payment.

“It’s indescribable,” he said. “Now they are all camping here,” he added, referring to his family and the sidewalk in front of the refugee agency, where groups of other Sudanese wait restlessly in the sun.

Makay’s mother and Rania Khaled Contributed to reports.