1,000 Egyptians Flee War-struck Ukraine to Romania and Poland

Following the eruption of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict last Thursday, Egyptian residents in Ukraine have been following instructions and statements issued by the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Kyiv.

On Saturday 26 February, The Minister of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram held a virtual meeting with Egyptian students in Ukraine to follow up on the latest developments and to further check on their conditions.

The meeting came in light of the suspended transportation announcement in Ukraine on Thursday 25 February in the Kyiv region as well as other suburban areas. According to an official statement, Ukrzaliznytsia’s railway capacity is needed as a priority for evacuating citizens from a number of towns and regions.

The meeting was held with a group of Egyptians intent on crossing the Ukrainian-Romanian border to ensure their safety and peaceful arrival to the Western and Southern borders.

In a statement on the Ministry of Emigration’s official Facebook page, the Minister stressed that the ministry is working closely with all state agencies and Egyptian embassies, in Warsaw and Bratislava, that border Ukraine to facilitate the departure of the Egyptians.

The Minister has reassured Egyptians that they will be departing from Romania through EgyptAir during the week.

The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Bucharest has opened its services to Egyptians coming from Ukraine, and has hotel reservations as well as return tickets to their homelands. The embassy urges Egyptian citizens in Ukraine to directly contact their emergency number +40 (726) 164 978.

In coordination with the Egyptian embassy in Slovakia, the Slovakian border can be entered without issuing a visa. The embassy urges Egyptians to send in a copy of their passport to Bratislava’s emergency number +42 (190) 769 7619 so that their entry can be easily facilitated.

The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Budapest announced, in a recent statement, that it exceptionally allows entry to those who hold a Ukrainian passport or have a valid resident and noted the points to which the Hungarian-Ukrainian border can be crossed through. The embassy could be reached through its emergency numbers +36 30 708 3220 or + 36 30 340 4811 for further information.

Around 6,000 Egyptian nationals lived in Ukraine prior to the attacks, with around 3,000 students residing there. Thousands of Ukrainians have left the country, with over a 100,000 internally displaced after fleeing the country due to the advancement of the troops as per Russian president Vladimir Putin’s orders.

Egyptian hotels have been instructed by Egypt’s Hotel Association to accommodate guests that are unable to return to war-torn Ukraine and Russia. Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Ministry asserted that all tourists from countries affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine are welcome to stay at Egyptian hotels until their safe return to their countries.