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Syrian Refugees in Egypt: Stories of Life, Death, Abuse and All That’s In Between

November 30, 2015
Syria women and children wait to get a visa stamp to enter Lebanon. Credit: Jamal Saidi/ Reuters

The ongoing war in Syria has caused the worst refugee crisis since World War II, and neighboring countries have been struggling to deal with the fall-out for years. The official number of Syrian refugees currently residing in Egypt according to the UN is 127.681, but as many go unregistered, the real number is likely to be higher. With the growing flux of Syrians crossing the Mediterranean Sea in hopes of reaching Europe, Egyptian Streets spoke with several Syrian refugees about their reasons to leave Egypt, as well as why they choose to stay. A Life Threatened by Syrian War and Egyptian Bureaucracy Originally hailing from Damascus, 25-year-old Thair Orfahli started law school at the University of Beirut in 2009. At first, he commuted to his classes, recalling how “it was the easiest and most common commute ever.” But in July 2012, he moved to Beirut permanently seeing as how travelling between the two cities had become too dangerous. However, due to the massive influx of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, he chose to move to Egypt a few months later to complete his law degree, graduating from the University of Alexandria late 2014. “I…


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