Latest news with #Emigration
Middle East
3 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East
OPEN// Egypt condemns repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanese, Syrian territories
CAIRO, July 16 (MENA) - Egypt has strongly condemned the repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanese and Syrian territories, deeming them a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the two brotherly Arab countries and a clear breach of international law and relevant UN resolutions. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Expatriates underscored the paramount importance of respecting the sovereignty of both Lebanon and Syria, affirming Egypt's categorical rejection of any interference in their internal affairs. The statement reaffirmed the necessity of respecting the unity and territorial integrity of both nations. Egypt further stressed that these repeated Israeli violations exacerbate tensions and constitute a significant obstacle to stability in both brotherly nations and the region, read the statement. This comes at a time of growing regional instability, as coordinated regional and international efforts, with Egypt playing an active role, are underway to reduce tensions and support regional security and stability, according to the statement. (MENA) R R N/
Middle East
4 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East
OPEN// FM praises Ghada Waly's role at UNODC
CAIRO, July 15 (MENA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty expressed his appreciation to Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Waly, for her efforts in supporting global crime prevention and for representing Egypt and the Arab world on the international stage. During their meeting on Tuesday, Abdelatty praised Waly's strong contributions in international forums, noting that her work positively reflects Egypt's standing within global institutions. For her part, Waly briefed the minister on the UN Cybercrime Convention adopted in December 2024, noting that the official signing ceremony will be held in Hanoi on October 25, 2025. She extended an invitation for Egypt to participate with a high-level delegation. She also highlighted Egypt's role as vice-chair of the treaty's drafting committee, and pointed to ongoing discussions on establishing a regional cybercrime training center in Egypt to serve African countries. Waly reviewed UNODC's cooperation with Egyptian authorities in combating illegal migration, citing joint efforts with the Ministries of Interior and Justice, the Administrative Control Authority, and the Public Prosecutor's Office. She added that several of these projects receive funding from the European Union. She further discussed UNODC's initiatives to combat antiquities trafficking and emphasized the importance of private sector engagement in safeguarding cultural heritage. Waly referenced a UK-funded program that provides technical support to countries confronting heritage crimes. Additionally, she confirmed that Egypt will host a regional expert group meeting on antiquities trafficking in October 2025 under the auspices of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. (MENA) H A T/M S H
Middle East
5 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East
OPEN// Deputy FM calls on Egyptian expats to participate in upcoming elections
CAIRO, July 13 (MENA) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Expatriates Nabil Habashi called on Egyptians abroad to vote in the upcoming elections, describing it as a constitutional responsibility. During a virtual meeting with Egyptian communities in Chicago and Houston, he stressed the importance of unity during regional challenges and underscored the positive role Egyptians abroad play in supporting the country. He said that preparations are under way for the sixth Egyptians Abroad Conference, scheduled for August 3–4, 2025. Habashi outlined efforts to improve services for Egyptians abroad, including easier money transfers, banking access, housing opportunities, and university placement support. For his part, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs Tamer el Meligy said that consular services are being upgraded and ID procedures simplified. Also, he called on Egyptians in the US to follow local laws to avoid legal issues. Egypt is gearing up for its 2025 parliamentary cycle, which begins with Senate elections firmly scheduled for August 1–5, 2025, with Egyptians abroad voting on August 1 and 2, followed by domestic voting on August 4 and 5. (MENA) H A T/R E E
Middle East
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East
OPEN// Egypt FM warns of regional risks from Israeli attacks
CAIRO, July 9 (MENA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty warned that continued Israeli attacks in Gaza and the West Bank threaten regional stability and the future of the Middle East. During a meeting with Jason Isaacson, Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer at the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Wednesday, Abdelatty discussed the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States in political, economic, and military fields. He outlined Egypt's efforts with the US to restore a ceasefire in Gaza, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, and host an international conference on Gaza's recovery once a ceasefire is secured. Abdelatty also rejected Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, warning that they fuel hostility and undermine security across the region. Additionally, he stressed the need for a lasting solution through the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state within the June 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital. Isaacson praised Egypt's efforts to achieve a ceasefire and support regional security. (MENA) H A T/S R E
Al-Ahram Weekly
26-06-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Upping the refugee response - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
On 24 June, Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates together with the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched the 2025 Egypt Refugee and Resilience Response Plan (ERRRP 2025) and appealed for $339 million to address the growing needs of refugees and host communities. The plan is the fruit of nearly two years of dialogue and collaboration between the various stakeholders. According to a document summarising the ERRRP, the plan provides a guide to the refugee response in the country, lays out the refugee coordination structure across the various sectors, and estimates the financial requirements to respond to humanitarian and development needs. It also provides a platform for facilitating partnerships among 30 organisations that combine their resources by working together in order to respond to refugees. Around one million refugees are officially registered in Egypt from 62 nationalities, said the document, adding that Egypt is one of the largest refugee host countries on the African continent, providing protection for refugees and asylum-seekers from Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Eritrea and other countries. Some refugees, such as the Sudanese, who represent around 70 per cent of total registered refugees, have fled the conflict in their country since mid-April 2023, while others, like the Syrian refugees, fled their home country more than a decade ago. The report estimates that the total projected population in need through the end of 2025 is 1.86 million refugees, of whom Sudanese form the bulk at 1.14 million. The total figures also take into account some 400,000 people from the host community affected. The plan aims to support the government in preserving asylum space in line with international standards and further strengthening the protection environment. It is aligned with the Global Compact on Refugees as well as the pledges made by the Egypt at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in 2019 and 2023 to support a progressively integrated approach to refugee assistance, aligned with the Egypt Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). The ERRRP 2025 advocates for and supports the continuation of government-led provision of social protection, education, and healthcare to refugees. The plan also promotes the self-reliance, livelihood opportunities, and socio-economic inclusion of refugees and asylum-seekers along with host communities in national services through more sustainable and development-oriented interventions. It calls for more support by the international community to the government of Egypt to ensure the sustainability of the services provided to refugees, asylum-seekers, and host communities. The launch of the document comes at a time when the UNHCR is reeling under a shortage of funding. According to a May report, only 29 per cent of the $137.7 million required by the UNHCR for the refugee response in Egypt in 2025 has been covered. According to Sebastian Herwig, senior external relations officer at UNHCR in 2025, several key donors to UNHCR announced a global decrease in foreign aid, heavily impacting UNHCR's response in Egypt in particular. 'These severe cuts in global funding have caused upheaval across the humanitarian sector, putting millions of lives at risk,' he told the Weekly. Globally, UNHCR anticipates it will end this year with total available funding of under $3.5 billion, roughly a third less than 2024 and about the same level as a decade ago, despite the number of people forced to flee having nearly doubled over the same period, Herwig said. According to Herwig, while the lack of funding is not new it has significantly worsened. Available refugee per capita resources dropped in Egypt from $126 in 2022 to just $40 in 2025, severely limiting the capacity to support each refugee, said Herwig, adding that 'This year, due to funding shortfalls, it [UNHCR Egypt] has been forced to cut some of its programmes by half,' he said adding that this has also meant a significant reduction also in staffing. The sectors most impacted by the funding shortfall in 2025 are registration, cash assistance, health, and education, said Herwig. UNHCR can now only support life-saving interventions, up to 50,000 children risk dropping out of school, and cash assistance has also been slashed, Herwig pointed out. 'The needs of refugees fleeing Sudan are growing by the day, but the funding is not keeping pace,' Marti Romero, deputy representative at UNHCR Egypt, was quoted as saying in March. 'Egypt is under immense strain, and essential services are being pushed to the limit. Without immediate international action, both refugees and host communities will face even greater hardship,' he said. 'We need urgent and sustained support to prevent this crisis from worsening.' Last year, Egypt received the second-highest number of asylum applications worldwide at close to 434,000, according to the UNHCR's 2024 Global Trends report. Increasing international support is essential, not only for refugees, but also for host communities that are facing growing pressures, said Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to Egypt and the Arab League Hanan Hamdan. During a meeting with officials at the cabinet's Information and Decision Support Centre on 20 June, Hamdan praised Egypt's efforts at the institutional and grassroots levels in support of refugees. 'There are no official camps for refugees, who are integrated into Egyptian society, which continues to welcome them with open arms,' Hamdan said. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023, UNHCR Egypt has provided registration appointments to around 937,000 individuals who have fled the country. Of these, 71 per cent were fully registered to receive protection and assistance. According to Herwig, the pace of new registrations has slowed mainly due to the reduction in registration staff, which UNHCR was forced to implement because of funding shortfalls. UNHCR had to close two of its three registration centers and reduce almost one third of its staffing, Herwig said explaining that this means that each month, 10,000 less people can be registered; they are thus less safe and often have no access to basic services as they do not have valid documents. On a positive note, the UNHCR said that since the regime change in Syria in December 2024, the number of Syrians approaching it in Cairo and Alexandria to request the closure of their asylum cases has risen significantly. As of 31 May, around 22,000 Syrians had submitted such requests, signaling their intention to return to Syria. In addition, Sudanese nationals account for 73 per cent of the total registered refugee population. The cases of around 17,000 individuals have been closed as spontaneous departures. * A version of this article appears in print in the 26 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
