Egypt Cracks Down on Refugees, Sparking Fears of Arbitrary Arrest and Deportation
In recent months, Egyptian authorities have intensified a campaign of arresting and deporting refugees and asylum seekers, even those registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), raising concerns about violations of international law and Egypt’s own asylum protections.
Escalating Arrests and Deportations
Since late December 2025, Egyptian police in plain clothes have been conducting identity checks in cities across the country, targeting nationals from Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, and other Sub-Saharan African nations. Individuals found without valid residency permits are being detained and deported, despite possessing UNHCR cards. Amnesty International has documented the arrests of 22 refugees and asylum seekers, including a child and two women, between late December 2025 and February 5, 2026, in Cairo, Giza, Al-Qalyubia, and Alexandria.
Violations of International and Domestic Law
The actions of the Egyptian authorities are in direct violation of the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits states from returning individuals to places where they face serious human rights violations. This also contravenes Egypt’s own asylum law, which prohibits the deportation of recognized refugees. Amnesty International emphasizes that forcibly expelling refugees and asylum seekers flouts international human rights and refugee law.
Impact on Refugee Communities
The crackdown has forced many refugee families into hiding, fearing arrest and deportation. This has disrupted access to work, education, and basic necessities. Amina, a Sudanese single mother and refugee registered with UNHCR, was forced to resort to begging on the streets after her son, the family’s primary breadwinner, was detained. Several families have reported halting their children’s education due to fear of arrest.
Detention and Deportation Procedures
Even refugees with scheduled appointments to renew their residency permits or valid UNHCR cards have been arrested. In some cases, prosecutors have ordered the release of detainees pending investigation, but police have refused to comply, continuing to hold them for deportation. The Egyptian government requires foreign nationals without legal status to obtain sponsorship and pay a $1,000 fee to regularize their status, a requirement waived for UNHCR-registered refugees during renewal.
Statistics and Reported Cases
While official figures on deportations are not publicly available, the Sudanese Ambassador to Cairo reported that 207 Sudanese nationals were returned in December 2025 and 371 in January 2026. Amnesty International documented one case of a Syrian asylum seeker deported despite a prosecutor’s order for his release. As of January 2026, 1,099,024 refugees and asylum seekers were registered with UNHCR.
Calls for Action
Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya Researcher at Amnesty International, stated that refugees fleeing war, persecution, or humanitarian crises should not live in fear of arbitrary arrest and deportation. Amnesty International is calling on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release all arbitrarily detained refugees and asylum seekers and halt all deportations of those entitled to international protection. The organization also urges the European Union and other states to increase responsibility-sharing by expanding resettlement opportunities and creating safe pathways for refugees.