Attachments
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS – HIGHLIGHTS
- According to UNHCR’s recently published Mid-Year Trends Report 2024, Egypt received the second-highest number of new asylum applications globally in the first half of the year. With over 209,000 applications, Egypt ranked just behind the United States and ahead of Germany.
- In addition to the 1.2 million Sudanese new arrivals, a total of 67,067 non-Sudanese individuals have fled to Egypt from Sudan since the start of the conflict in April 2023, according to the latest figure provided by the Government of Egypt (GoE) to UNHCR on 15 October 2024.
- On 22 October, the Defence and National Security Committee of the Egyptian House of Representatives approved a draft national asylum law for plenary discussion. A copy of the ministerial decree referring the Draft Law to the House of Representatives and an extract of the law was published in a local newspaper. The extract indicates that the law establishes a formal framework for the recognition and processing of refugees and asylum-seekers in Egypt. When the new law takes effect, the GoE will take over responsibility for the asylum process. UNHCR has been registering refugees and asylum-seekers on behalf of the GoE since signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the GoE in 1954. Now, UNHCR is supporting the GoE to ensure a smooth transition and access to international protection for those in need.
- From 25 to 27 October, UNHCR Egypt participated in the Gouna Film Festival, strengthening its long-standing partnership and raising awareness about forced displacement and the impact of regional conflicts on millions of lives. The initiative entailed a workshop empowering emerging storytellers, including refugees from Sudan, Somalia, and Syria. Further, it included a panel discussion, highlighting the role of cinema in conveying the experiences of conflict-affected filmmakers, led by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Raya Abirached. The festival closed with a panel, exploring how film can reshape public perceptions and inspire social impact. Also, UNHCR Representative to Egypt, Dr Hanan Hamdan, met with Samih Sawiris, co-founder of the GFF and chairman of Orascom Development Holding. The Sawiris Foundation for Social Development and UNHCR Egypt have been working together since 2020.
- From 21 to 22 October, in the context of the Dutch-funded Prospects partnership, UNHCR contributed to a series of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning sessions in Cairo. Since its inception in 2019, Prospects has focused on improving refugee registration, enhancing safe educational access for children, and building skills among refugees, migrants, and host communities to foster self-sufficiency and long-term sustainability amidst Egypt's displacement challenges. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNICEF, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the International Labour Organization (ILO) also participated in the sessions.