The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms has issued its analytical study entitled “An Analytical Study of Egyptian Asylum Law No. 164 of 2024 and Its Impact on Refugee Communities in Egypt”, coinciding with the passage of one year since the issuance of the law regulating the status of refugees in Egypt in December 2024.
The study comes in the context of the recent legislative transformations taking place in Egypt, following the adoption of the first comprehensive national law regulating the status of refugees and asylum seekers within the country. The Egyptian Commission considers this study a response to the need to understand the legal and practical dimensions of the implementation of the new asylum law, particularly in light of the legitimate questions and concerns it raises among refugee communities, especially with regard to access to rights and services, protection from detention and deportation, and the extent to which the new legislative framework aligns with Egypt’s constitutional and international obligations in the field of human rights and refugee protection.
The study adopts a descriptive and analytical methodology that combines legal and field-based analysis, drawing on qualitative research tools including questionnaires, focus group discussions, and interviews with refugees and asylum seekers from diverse nationalities and legal and social backgrounds. The study focuses primarily on conveying refugees’ own perceptions of the new law and understanding their experiences, concerns, and expectations regarding its implementation, rather than limiting the analysis to a purely theoretical reading of the legal texts.
The study seeks to assess the capacity of the institutional and legislative framework in Egypt to absorb and implement the new law in a manner that respects international standards, while highlighting the implementation challenges and potential risks that may arise during its application, particularly in the context of complex regional and humanitarian conditions and increasing pressure on asylum systems in countries of transit and host states.
The study also aims to contribute to the public debate on the future of asylum policies in Egypt by providing an objective and balanced analysis that highlights the potential positive aspects of the law, without overlooking the gaps and challenges that require monitoring and review. It concludes with a set of findings and recommendations addressed to policymakers, government authorities, international organizations, and civil society organizations, with the aim of enhancing refugee protection and ensuring the implementation of the law in a manner that upholds human dignity, justice, and accountability.