Egypt Issues Executive Regulations for New Asylum Law

Egypt's Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, has issued the executive regulations for the country's Law on Foreigners' Asylum, setting out procedures governing the status of refugees and asylum seekers and paving the way for a new national asylum management system.

Under the regulations, refugee and asylum seeker cards currently issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will remain valid until their expiration dates or until they are replaced with new documents issued under the new framework.

The regulations require refugees to submit their identification cards to the Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs one month before their expiration date. Holders of documents that expired before the implementation of the regulations will be granted a grace period to regularize their status.

The decision assigns the Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs responsibility for managing asylum-related matters, coordinating with international organizations, and receiving data on refugees registered with UNHCR within six months.

The regulations will enter into force three months after their publication in the Official Gazette. Authorities may extend transitional periods if needed to ensure the full implementation of the new system.

Egypt hosts hundreds of thousands of registered refugees and asylum seekers from several countries, including Sudan, Syria, South Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia. The new framework is intended to establish a nationally managed asylum system while maintaining coordination with international partners.