African refugees in limbo in Egypt
1,009 views · Published 30 November 2018 · 5:22 · Indexed 30 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(25 Nov 2018) LEADIN: Thousands of African refugees say they are in limbo in Egypt as they await being resettled in another country. There are around 90,000 African refugees registered in Egypt and many have been waiting years to be resettled abroad. STORYLINE: Hager Om Fares is a Sudanese woman living in Egypt. She runs her own Henna business and says she's in demand. "The Egyptians love Henna, I found its better for me to work in my own shop instead of roving in the streets day by day and getting so tired to gain only 100 (5.60 US dollars) to 120 Egyptian pounds." Om Fares is one of an unknown number of Africans living and working in Egypt. She's a registered refugee, but doesn't know if - or when - she might be resettled. Another refugee, Bleasen (no last name given) is also reaping the rewards of her craft. She's a hairdresser, originally from Nigeria, but is now running her own business in Egypt's capital while she waits to move forward with her asylum claim. She says she gets many Nigerians coming to her - but that anyone is welcome into her salon. "I come from Nigeria, and here is my customers this is where I use to make my hair, so all Nigerian comes to this shop and make their hair so whoever wants to make (their) hair, whether you're Egyptian or (from) Sudan or Indian, you're welcome to this shop." There are currently 237,389 refugees and asylum-seekers from 58 different nationalities living in Egypt. Nearly 90 thousand of them are from African countries, according to UNHCR. Egypt has borders with Libya and Sudan and it is considered a destination country for refugees and asylum-seekers. The actual number of refugees in Egypt may be higher than the official numbers, as not all refugees are registered with UNHCR. Many have been in Egypt for years, waiting to be resettled abroad, like Mohamed Abbass. Also from Sudan, he says he's waiting for UNHCR to finish his family's papers and then be resettled. Until then, he's been working in his pharmacy. The papers were rejected around ten months ago - but now, Abbass says, there is hope. "I received a notification that my papers are being accepted again and I am now waiting to be settled." Many people, like Hagar Mohamed, had no choice but to flee Sudan. "I am from the north Sudan and my husband lives in the south," she explains. "After the separation of the North and South in Sudan and the war, my husband was unable to live in the north and I could not live in the south, because if he lived in the north they would consider him a member of the (Sudan People's Liberation Movement) SPLM and If I lived in the south, they would consider me a member of National Congress Party." The Tadamon Centre is a community and support centre for the African diaspora. They provide legal services to those claiming asylum. Fatima Idress - who heads up the centre - says Egypt is not usually the final destination of choice for those she meets. "All of those people come here as a transition place, they believe that the next stop will be Canada, Australia, USA, and new places with new life, so Egypt isn't the final destination for them, but sometimes it takes so long in the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to finish their papers, some migrants staying here 20 or 25 years ago." Idress also says the international community needs to make sure they are giving fair treatment to all people seeking asylum. "The great focus on the Syrian issue does not mean that there are no others going through something similar, like Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and places where there are so many problems." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/25b678832ae352dab6179d13f3f8972d
