Author
Egypt hosts large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers, while it does not operate a formal legislative framework for ‘temporary protection.’ Instead, it relies on ad hoc administrative arrangements that lack legal safeguards.
Temporary protection in practice
Following the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, the Egyptian authorities adopted an exceptional policy toward Syrian nationals, granting them renewable tourist residence permits without formally recognizing them as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention. Similar arrangements were extended to Libyan nationals (with free renewable six-month residencies), and other nationalities such as Palestinians, Yemenis, and Sudanese, under varying conditions subject to political context. These policies were framed as based on ‘humanitarian considerations’ and regional diplomatic interests.
Such measures helped reduce the immediate burden on UNHCR and the national asylum system. Nevertheless, individuals under these arrangements remained excluded from formal international protection frameworks and lacked guarantees of access to basic rights such as lawful employment, formal education, or protection from forced return.
Asylum Law No. 164 of 2024 bears no reference to temporary protection as a faster and more practical mechanism, especially in situations when ordinary asylum systems may be overwhelmed, as a result, say, of wars or disasters. Nor does the law reference asylum seekers or define their rights, obligations, or interim protections. This resulted in a legal gap between the moment a person seeks asylum and the point at which refugee status is granted, where individuals become excluded from legal protection for a period of six months to one year. This legal uncertainty continues to undermine the humanitarian situation of affected groups.