Egypt’s Responsibility in the Mediterranean Refugee Crisis

As the season of migration via the Mediterranean begins, public policy discussions by Egyptian authorities on Syrian refugees have become increasingly important. Since the start of the year, over 1,750 refugees have died making the treacherous journey, attempting to leave the coasts of Africa for a better future in Europe. Syrians by far outnumber any other nationality taking this risk. In Egypt, there were an estimated 300,000 Syrian refugees in 2014, 136,245 of whom are officially registered with UNHCR.

With the International Organization for Migration warning that this year’s death toll could top 30,000, ten times the 2014 figure, the EU has engaged in discussions on relief plans and stemming illegal immigration. Libya has been the focus of attention due to the prevailing turmoil and an increase in human smuggling, but it is equally important to discuss efforts against illegal immigration and the protection of refugees in Egypt and Tunisia. Both the Egyptian and Tunisian governments are stable and more capable of countering the problem and protecting refugees.

The crisis of Syrian refugees in Egypt began with the election of former President Mohamed Morsi in 2012. Under Morsi, Syrian refugees were welcome in the country. Egypt even went so far as to sever ties with Syria, as Morsi ordered the Syrian embassy in Cairo closed at a Brotherhood organized rally in solidarity with the Syrian rebels. Amid chants in support of Syria, and a pledge by Morsi to arm the rebels, tens of thousands of Morsi’s supporters also chanted against calls to oust Morsi. Two weeks later, on July 3, 2013, then-Minister of Defense Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced Morsi’s removal from his position. Syrian refugees found themselves in the midst of a highly polarized political conflict in Egypt, in large part, as a result of this rally.

Following Morsi’s ouster, anti-Islamist media portrayed Syrian refugees as Brotherhood supporters, taking part in their protests and sit-ins. They were shown to pose a threat to Egyptian national security. Talk show host Youssef al-Husseiny accused Syrians of calling for Morsi’s reinstatement, while Tawfiq Okasha threatened them with a 48-hour ultimatum, saying that if they were caught interacting with the Brotherhood, their homes would be destroyed. Egyptians who supported Morsi’s ouster quickly became antagonistic towards Syrian refugees, escalating to a point where refugees were attacked and harassed under the pretext of being Brotherhood sympathizers.

Facing job insecurity and xenophobic violence last year, many Syrian refugees in Egypt considered risking illegal immigration to Europe via the Mediterranean. In September 2014, a boat overloaded with 500 Syrian and Palestinian refugees sailing from the coast of Damietta to Malta capsized, following a dispute between the smugglers and refugees. When the refugees refused to switch to a smaller boat, according to a handful of survivors, the smugglers intentionally sunk their boat. The majority of the 500 refugees drowned.

Reem S., a 29-year-old Syrian refugee also told EgyptSource, “In August 2014 the smugglers kidnapped a refugee group in Alexandria and tortured them.” According to Reem, the smugglers raped the women, and stole their money. “The smugglers didn’t take the Syrian refugees to the boats and said they should stay in Egypt instead of traveling to Europe.” They were unable to report the smugglers to security out of fear, Reem explained.

A 2014 Human Rights Watch report also showed that Egypt prevented UNHCR from documenting Palestinians fleeing Syria, and that after Morsi’s ouster, security authorities required visas and security clearance for Syrians to enter the country. As a result, at least 276 Syrians were denied entry to Egypt, and coercively returned to Syria, while seventy-two men and nine boys were detained at police and military checkpoints in Cairo. From August 2013 to early 2014, Egyptian authorities arrested more than 1,500 Syrian refugees, including 250 children, and forced more than 1,200 to leave Egypt, threatening them with the alternative of indefinite detention.

Syrian refugees in Egypt are also not permitted to work. Faced with the huge financial burden, according to testimonies collected by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, many opt to attempt to the journey to Europe where they can expect better assistance for refugees. According to Egyptian journalist, Nahla al-Nemr, Syrian refugees in Egypt are also among those attempting to cross the porous Libya-Egypt border. Nemr explains this is in large part due to proximity of the Libyan and European coasts.

Some refugees accuse the Egyptian authorities of turning a blind eye to illegal immigration. For instance, immediately before the deadly attempt to illegally immigrate in September 2014, military police arrested a group of Syrian refugees in Damietta before they were able to join the rest of the victims. Syrian refugees in Alexandria told EgyptSource they are suspicious that the police and military arrested some of the immigrants as an attempt to prove they are combating illegal immigration, but continue to ignore the larger number of refugees.

Egyptian authorities have not taken any measures against the smuggling networks operating in the country. They also failed to introduce legislative amendments to allow the prosecution of smugglers, or implement a security policy against illegal immigration, ensuring the protection of Syrian refugees. Given the authorities lack of action on the matter, it would appear that they prefer to rid themselves of the burden of Syrian refugees, by exporting the problem to Europe.

Refaa R., a 25-year-old refugee said that smugglers also try to encourage refugees to bring large groups to migrate. “They ask the emigrant to bring other Syrians in exchange for lowering the cost of immigration.” Smugglers charge each individual $2,000 according to Refaa. “One of the Syrians, who works with the smugglers offered a Syrian woman a $300 commission for every immigrant she brought to them,” Refaa told EgyptSource.

In recent months, the antagonistic media campaigns against Syrian refugees have abated, and Sisi has made positive remarks on refugees. In a recent meeting with the President of Greece, Sisi said Egypt hosts 5 million refugees and “treats them like Egyptian Citizens.” The National Coordinating Committee on Preventing and Combating Illegal Migration (NCCPIM), a governmental body formed by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab in 2014, is also pursuing its duties. The NCCPIM’s action plan includes drafting legislation, compensating victims of illegal immigration, raising awareness, and promoting pan-African, pan-Arab and international cooperation. Seemingly prompted not by Syrian refugees in Egypt, but rather the recent, and deadly, illegal immigration attempts from Libya, Egyptian officials have also engaged their European and African counterparts. Egypt moderated an Africa-Europe meeting aimed at producing an action plan to confront the phenomenon.

These positive signs are, nonetheless, insufficient in proving a genuine change in the Egyptian government’s stance on Syrian refugees. The Egyptian government should follow a number of steps to change its public policy on Syrian refugees in Egypt and ensure their protection against illegal immigration. These steps include ending all adversarial measures against Syrian refugees, such as their arrest or coercive deportation to Syria, and allowing them the freedom of work and movement in Egypt without security pressures or restrictions. Egypt should also implement the NCCPIM’s action, plan, prioritizing the passing of its bill against illegal immigration drafted by NCCPIM, and pass a law enabling the prosecution of smugglers. Finally, Egypt should train military forces on rescue operations for illegal immigrants and provide the equipment necessary for these efforts.

Little is expected of a policy change by the Egyptian government towards Syrian refugees, unless through international efforts, in particular, by the EU. At a time when global attention is focused on an increasingly dire situation, the EU should take advantage of the opportunity to ensure that Egypt claims responsibility for its part in the ongoing refugee crisis.

Mohamed Abdel Salam is a researcher for the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression in Cairo. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the Association. 

Image: Photo: Migrants are seen on Coast Guard rescue boat with a group that includes Syrian refugees, at Siracusa harbor on the island of Sicily September 20, 2013. (Reuters)