The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has commended Egypt’s Ministry of Interior for increasing the validity of asylum-based residency permits from six months to one year and expanding the operational capacity of the General Department of Passports, Immigration, and Nationality in Abbasiya, Cairo, allowing the facility to process up to 1,000 individuals daily, up from the previous limit of 600.
“By extending the validity of asylum-based residency, the Egyptian government is improving refugees’ lives in concrete ways. We look forward to continuing our work with the authorities to ensure that refugees and asylum-seekers can fully benefit from this decision and that they are well informed of the required procedures,” the UNHCR Deputy Representative for Protection in Egypt, Marti Romero, said. He noted that this marks a significant advancement for refugees in Egypt.
The extension is expected to enhance stability, ease administrative burdens, and improve access to essential services such as healthcare, education, employment, and birth registration, according to the agency.
Additionally, the UNHCR announced that residency permit appointments would be rescheduled in phases due to high demand, and affected individuals will be notified via text message with new dates and details. Refugees and asylum seekers with updated appointments were instructed to visit the Passports and Immigration Office in Abbasiya at the scheduled time.
Meanwhile, new appointments will continue to be offered at the agency’s offices and through its information hotline.
Egypt has a longstanding history of offering refuge to those escaping conflict and persecution, a role it continues to fulfill today. At present, nearly one million refugees and asylum seekers, representing 61 nationalities, including Sudanese, Syrians, Eritreans, Ethiopians, South Sudanese, and Yemenis, are registered with UNCHR.
The extension of residency permits, alongside expanded capacity, seeks to simplify maintaining legal status by reducing renewal frequency, easing bureaucratic hurdles, and alleviating congestion to shorten wait times.
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