• Text size Normal size text | Increase text size by 10% | Increase text size by 20% | Increase text size by 30%
  • Also available in French

UNHCR alarmed over reports of forcible returns of Eritreans from Egypt

Press Releases, 19 June 2008

Thursday, 19 June 2008

GENEVA – The UN refugee agency is very alarmed over consistent reports of ongoing, forcible returns of Eritrean asylum-seekers from Egypt despite appeals from UNHCR to refrain from any return of asylum seekers until the agency had access to detention centres to determine their claims for international protection.

UNHCR appeals to the Egyptian authorities to urgently provide information on the current location and well-being of some 1,400 Eritreans and other persons of concern to UNHCR, whose names and detention locations had previously been shared by the authorities. UNHCR also requests prompt and unhindered access to all persons seeking asylum currently in detention.

UNHCR strongly appeals to the Egyptian government to maintain its traditional generous asylum policy and respect its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention to which it is a signatory. One of the key principles of the Convention is the prohibition against refoulement, or forcibly returning individuals to their country of origin where they could face persecution or a threat to their lives.

Earlier this week, Egypt announced it would grant UNHCR's office in Cairo access to Eritreans in detention with a view to determining their status. On Monday, a UNHCR team visited two detention centres in Aswan in southern Egypt – Shalal and Nasr Al Nouba – to review and prepare arrangements for refugee status determination. They met 142 Eritreans and 19 Ethiopians. Earlier credible reports indicated the number of detained asylum seekers in Aswan Governorate to be much higher. UNHCR teams also went to other detention locations in Egypt but were unable to obtain access. In some instances they were asked to bring specific permission from prison authorities, while at other locations they were informed by the authorities that Eritrean asylum-seekers were no longer present.

Egypt has seen a surge of Eritreans entering the country illegally in recent months from Sudan or directly from Eritrea across the Red Sea. In late February, the Egyptian authorities suspended UNHCR's access to asylum seekers in detention. Since then, UNHCR has been in continuous contact with relevant authorities asking for access to detained asylum seekers.

• DONATE NOW • • GET INVOLVED • • STAY INFORMED •

 

Related Stories

more documents

UNHCR country pages

Protection considerations with regard to people fleeing from Libya. Update No.1

Stuck at the Egyptian border

Some three weeks after the Libyan displacement crisis erupted in mid-February, thousands of people were still stuck at the border between Libya and Egypt waiting for onward travel to their home countries. Many have arrived exhausted at the Sallum crossing after travelling for days without adequate food or water. Some told harrowing tales of armed men going door to door at night, forcing people from sub-Saharan Africa to leave after destroying their identity papers and taking their money.

More long-haul flights to Bangladesh and other Asian destinations are needed to decongest the border, although people from countries like Eritrea and Somalia cannot go home. As a result, many people have been stuck at the border for days, sleeping outside in the cold. UNHCR has provided blankets, plastic mats, food and water for those waiting to be repatriated.

More than 100,000 people have arrived at the Sallum border since the start of the Libyan uprising. The majority have been migrant workers from Egypt who were allowed through immigration and customs quickly, but many nationalities have also turned up at the border and having to wait.

Stuck at the Egyptian border

Crisis in Libya

UNHCR is working with the Tunisian and Egyptian authorities and aid groups to manage the dramatic influx of tens of thousands of people fleeing Libya. By the beginning of March, two weeks after the violence erupted in Libya, more than 140,000 people had fled to the neighbouring countries, while thousands more were waiting to cross. Most are Egyptian and Tunisian nationals, though small numbers of Libyans and other nationalities are managing to escape. UNHCR is particularly concerned about thousands of refugees and other foreigners trapped inside Libya, especially people from sub-Saharan Africa. The following photo essay gives a glimpse into what is happening at the borders.

Crisis in Libya

A Perilous RoutePlay video

A Perilous Route

Kassala camp in eastern Sudan provides shelter to thousands of refugees from Eritrea. Many of them pass through the hands of ruthless and dangerous smugglers.
Egypt: Seeking SafetyPlay video

Egypt: Seeking Safety

Amid the ebb and flow of fighting in eastern Libya, a steady stream of people continues to seek shelter in Egypt and other neighbouring countries. They tell their stories.
Egypt: Stranded at the BorderPlay video

Egypt: Stranded at the Border

Thousands of people are stranded at Egypt's Sallum border crossing with Libya. Many of them are migrant workers, like these exhausted Bangladeshi men.