The Refugees Platform in Egypt (RPE) strongly condemns the hostile and racist behavior of members of the Egyptian security forces / Ministry of Interior, in official uniforms, who assaulted refugee women and children while they were standing in line to enter the UNHCR office in 6th of October city. RPE condemns this racist behavior that violates the dignity of individuals, and calls on the Egyptian Public Prosecution to open an investigation in this regard, and to hold those responsible for this crime accountable, including the person who directed racist words towards the children.
A circulating video, a copy of which was obtained by RPE, shows that Egyptian security personnel wearing Interior Ministry uniforms violently pushed refugees, including children, from in front of the UNHCR office in 6th of October City, Giza Governorate, while they were standing in the place designated for those wishing to enter the office to submit applications. In the video, one of the security personnel is heard directing racist and insulting words, saying, “Come on, slave, come on, you filth” to the children who are present with their families.
According to testimonies from Sudanese refugees interviewed by RPE, incidents of bullying and racism have recently increased significantly. Leaders of refugee communities in Egypt are calling on the UNHCR’s Community Protection Section in Cairo to act against those who engage in bullying and racist behavior towards refugees.
Over the past few months, campaigns targeting refugees have spread on social media with hateful and racist rhetoric. RPE has warned against such campaigns, especially the recent ones involving Egyptian government officials, which contributes to the spread of such rhetoric and perpetuate the spread of misinformation about refugees in Egypt, which is all the more dangerous when it comes from people who are supposed to enforce the law and protect those who are on Egyptian territories from such crimes.
In the same context, RPE published a status report on the Registration Services System Issues at UNHCR Egypt, which have increased significantly in recent months. The report illustrated how the UNHCR office is unable to perform and provide the main services to refugees humanely and preserve their dignity, but rather exposes them to sitting for long hours and even sleeping in front of the UNHCR office to obtain a registration appointment. leaving refugees in a critical legal situation without protection and exposing them to serious violations including detention, enforced disappearance and deportation, in parallel with a major campaign loaded with racist and hateful rhetoric.
The Refugees Platform in Egypt (RPE) condemns the racist behavior of the security forces towards refugees, and calls on the Egyptian Public Prosecution to open an investigation in this regard, and to hold those responsible for this crime accountable, including the person who directed racist words towards the children who were there.
RPE also calls on UNHCR Egypt to intervene and provide legal support to those who were subjected to these racist attacks and ensure that measures are taken to prevent such crimes from happening again, as this incident falls within the scope of responsibility imposed on the work of the office, and this responsibility increases as well as the seriousness of these crimes if they are committed at the gates of the UNHCR office.
We also urge UNHCR to find effective solutions to the Registration Services System Issues, which is at the core of the purpose and existence of the UNHCR office in general and in Egypt in particular. Due to issues of inaccessibility in a reasonable time, the level and likelihood of risks for asylum seekers in Egypt increases, and the challenges and obstacles to legal and special protection issues related to the status of seeking or obtaining asylum or access to basic services increase.
