The number of refugees fleeing to Egypt increases each year, with over 260,000 registered refugees, according to UNHCR Egypt. Although Egypt is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, it is still among the countries in which the situation of refugees is still unstable.

The number of refugees fleeing to Egypt increases each year, with over 260,000 registered refugees, according to UNHCR Egypt. Although Egypt is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, it is still among the countries in which the situation of refugees is still unstable.

Correspondents Egypt has developed a list of 10 points to be observed by Egypt’s refugees. The list has been prepared according to advice from Muhammad Bayoumi, chairman of the Egyptian Organization for Refugee Support, which provides refugees with legal support and directly collaborates with the UNHCR for the same purpose:

1. Failure to renew the residence permit is a major reason for arrest. Therefore, refugees should heed the expiration date of their permits and start renewing them following the same steps they did before in obtaining the permit. The entire process will take no more than 21 days. The UNHCR frequently distributes notices concerning the issue in order for refugees to maintain their legal status in Egypt.

2. A person who does not hold a refugee card from the UNHCR will be deemed a migrant, and thus will not enjoy the international protection enjoyed by refugees. If you are eligible for refugee status, apply to the UNHCR as soon as you arrive to Egypt.

3. A refugee might face problems in connection with renting an apartment —the owner might expel him or her from the apartment and refuse to refund the deposit. Moreover, in most cases, refugees rent apartments without contracts, or under contracts not officially registered, a case in which a renter does not have any legal rights. Therefore, refugees are advised to go to the UNHCR or any other specialized organization when they face such cases.

4. Egypt has made reservations to many articles of the UN convention on the status of refugees, such as the right to work. If a refugee faces a work-related problem, such as dismissal or is denied any dues or compensation due to a work injury, s/he has no rights because refugees essentially do not have the right to work in Egypt.

5. Egypt has also made reservations to other articles guaranteeing refugee rights, such as the right to primary education and health insurance. Thus, the refugees in Egypt are not covered by health insurance and may not join basic education schools. However, the UNHCR, in cooperation with many local organizations, tries to fill in these gaps.

6. Many refugees in Egypt try to depart illegally, mainly by sea. Most of the time, they are arrested and authorities may expel them for violating Egyptian law. In many cases, however, the prosecution sympathizes with them and releases them, but in the event of a repeated departure, this might not remain the case.

7. Through its resettlement programme, the UNHCR supervises the resettlement of certain numbers of refugees annually in Europe, in coordination with the embassies of some European countries in Egypt. However, resettlement is not a right and is not available to all refugees in Egypt. The UNHCR has different criteria according to which the selection is made every year. The UNHCR gives priority to people with special health cases, children unaccompanied by their parents, and widows.

8. Refugees in Egypt might be subject to fraud by Egyptians or compatriot refugees. Therefore, refugees must be careful in their financial dealings. In case a refugee is taken advantage of, s/he should resort to an organization that provides legal support to refugees.

9. The UNHCR may reject an asylum seeking application, but the applicant may appeal within one month from the date of rejection. In case the application and/or appeal is rejected, the applicant loses the refugee status and becomes a migrant. In this case, if s/he is arrested by the Egyptian authorities, s/he may be deported.

10. Refugees may face problems in connection with financial aid. Caritas, in coordination with the UNHCR, is in charge of providing financial support to refugees in Egypt. In some cases, Caritas may determine that some refugees do not deserve financial support — this happens in relation to food vouchers. Sometimes, refugees find it difficult to get such vouchers since the UNHCR suffers from fund shortages in this regard. On the other hand, some refugees may find food vouchers insufficient to cover their needs. Such a shortage may be covered by local charities providing support