AIDA Country Report on Egypt

ECRE has published the first AIDA report on Egypt. It was researched and drafted by Refugees Platform in Egypt and edited by ECRE, and it uses the AIDA methodology which was developed by ECRE.

The report introduces the asylum context in Egypt, the situation of Egypt as a country of transit, destination and origin, and the co-operation between the EU and Egypt on migration. It then follows the AIDA methodology to describe the asylum procedure, detention conditions and content of international protection in Egypt.

The publication of the report comes at a critical time for asylum in Egypt. With ongoing crises in both Syria and Sudan, Egypt currently hosts the highest number of registered refugees and people seeking asylum in its history. Data from the International Organization for Migration show that Egypt now hosts more than nine million people on the move, approximately 9% of the country’s total population. Approximately 80% of the people seeking protection in Egypt are either Sudanese, Syrian, Yemeni or Libyan, and only 958,179 of them are registered with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

In addition, the asylum system in Egypt is also undergoing considerable change. In November 2024, Egypt enacted its first national asylum law. The new legislation transferred responsibility for registration and asylum management from the UNHCR to the Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs, which will operate under the authority of the Egyptian prime minister. Although the law came into force the day after its adoption, the its implementation remains on hold pending the formation of the Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs and the issuance of the executive regulations governing its work.

Given Egypt’s transitional asylum system, the AIDA report describes both the current practice under the asylum system administered by the UNHCR, which remains in effect in many respects at the time of writing, and the new system based on the 2024 asylum law in which Egyptian authorities are expected to assume responsibility for asylum procedures and protection.

The report highlights the various challenges faced by refugees in Egypt, including obstacles to accessing the asylum procedure, forced deportations and lack of material support. It also analyses the shortcomings of the 2024 asylum law in relation to international legal standards, independence and safeguards.

The English version of the report is available here and the Arabic version is available here.

For more information about the AIDA database or to read other AIDA reports, please visit the AIDA website.