Parliament Approves Domestic Bill Regulating Asylum Seekers' Affairs
Under the new legislation, a Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs (PCRA) will be established overseen by the prime minister.
The Egyptian parliament has passed its first domestic legislation governing refugees and asylum seekers, aiming to align national policies with international agreements, including the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The law establishes a Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs (PCRA), overseen by the prime minister, to manage refugee-related matters. The PCRA, headquartered in Cairo, will collect and analyze data on refugee populations, coordinate with Egyptian government agencies, and collaborate with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international organizations to ensure refugees receive adequate support and services.
Asylum seekers can submit their applications to the committee, which is required to decide on cases within six months for individuals who entered Egypt legally and within a year for those who entered illegally. Priority will be given to vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, unaccompanied children, and survivors of human trafficking, torture, or sexual violence.
Refugee status may be revoked for individuals found to have obtained it fraudulently or engaged in activities threatening national security or public order, with such individuals subject to deportation. As of October 2024, the UNHCR reports that 800,000 refugees and asylum seekers are registered in Egypt, with the majority fleeing the ongoing war in Sudan.
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