Egypt's New Asylum Law

In November 2024, the Egyptian parliament passed a controversial asylum law. Many human rights organisations strongly opposed the law, warning that it could jeopardise the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Egypt. Nevertheless, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratified the law on 16 December. At the same time, the European Union (EU) is pushing ahead with the externalisation of its borders through agreements with transit countries and countries of origin. In March, the EU and Egypt signed a partnership agreement worth 7.4 billion euros, including 200 million euros for so-called migration management. What are the current living conditions of asylum seekers and refugees in Egypt? How might the new asylum law affect their rights? To what extent does the law and the EU-Egypt partnership conflict with international human rights standards and principles of refugee protection?

With:

• Dr Amira Ahmed, Assistant Professor and Associate Researcher, The American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt
• Dr Gerda Heck, Assistant Professor, AUC, Egypt
• Mohamed Lotfy, Founder and Director, Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), Egypt
• Sofian Philip Naceur, Freelance Journalist

Moderation: Aljoscha Albrecht, Senior Programme Officer North Africa, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

» Participation on site
at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

Please register in advance. Unfortunately, the number of seats for this event are limited. If we are at capacity, the conversation will be transmitted via video to other rooms.

» Towards Greater Accessibility
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