Published : 20-04-2020
Palestinian refugees who fled war-torn Syria (PRS) have been subjected to a fragile legal status in Egypt, where they are treated as foreigners rather than asylum-seekers fleeing war-stricken zones.
PRS in Egypt have been denied the right to legal visas, refugee documents, safe accommodation, basic services, and relief assistance.
The refugees continue to denounce the apathy maintained by the UN Human Rights Council for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Palestine Embassy regarding their cries for help.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has also turned its back on the Palestinian refugees in Egypt on account that they fall outside of its five fields of operations.
The situation is even worse for those who illegally entered Egypt via the Sudanese borders. They have been denied the right to free movement, education, and labor, among other basic necessities.
Unlike Syrian nationals, who are granted safe asylum in Egypt and systematically assisted by the UNHCR, Palestinian refugees fleeing the war-torn country are left on their own.
AGPS data indicates that the number of Palestinian refugees from Syria in Egypt in 2018 was estimated at 3,500, down from over 6,000 in previous years. Some 500 refugees illegally entered Egypt through Sudan.
AGPS continues to stress the need to secure the rights of PRS in Egypt to legal and physical protection, as per the Refugee Convention of 1951, and to hand them over cash and in-kind aids, along with refugee cards, in order to enhance their legal status in the Egyptian territories.
The situation of the Palestinians of Syria is taking a turn for the worse amid COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown imposed by the Egyptian government to curb virus infections.
Palestinian refugees who fled war-torn Syria (PRS) have been subjected to a fragile legal status in Egypt, where they are treated as foreigners rather than asylum-seekers fleeing war-stricken zones.
PRS in Egypt have been denied the right to legal visas, refugee documents, safe accommodation, basic services, and relief assistance.
The refugees continue to denounce the apathy maintained by the UN Human Rights Council for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Palestine Embassy regarding their cries for help.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has also turned its back on the Palestinian refugees in Egypt on account that they fall outside of its five fields of operations.
The situation is even worse for those who illegally entered Egypt via the Sudanese borders. They have been denied the right to free movement, education, and labor, among other basic necessities.
Unlike Syrian nationals, who are granted safe asylum in Egypt and systematically assisted by the UNHCR, Palestinian refugees fleeing the war-torn country are left on their own.
AGPS data indicates that the number of Palestinian refugees from Syria in Egypt in 2018 was estimated at 3,500, down from over 6,000 in previous years. Some 500 refugees illegally entered Egypt through Sudan.
AGPS continues to stress the need to secure the rights of PRS in Egypt to legal and physical protection, as per the Refugee Convention of 1951, and to hand them over cash and in-kind aids, along with refugee cards, in order to enhance their legal status in the Egyptian territories.
The situation of the Palestinians of Syria is taking a turn for the worse amid COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown imposed by the Egyptian government to curb virus infections.
