Safe haven or limbo? Iraqi refugees in Egypt

Abstract

After 2005 many Iraqi families sought refuge in Egypt, fleeing the repercussions of the US-led war on Iraq, including the spread of sectarian violence. In comparison with Iraqis in other Arab states, those in Egypt have received little attention. Using refugee narratives, this article aims to shed light on the journeys of some Iraqi families to Egypt. It also discusses the status of Iraqis in the context of the broader refugee regime operating in Egypt and the complex relations between Iraqis and Egyptians today.

Living an Uncertain Future: Temporality, Uncertainty, and Well-Being among Iraqi Refugees in Egypt

“…Most participants were from Baghdad and had traveled to Egypt with their nuclear family, although extended family members, such as elderly parents, were part of some family units. In general, the profile of Iraqi refugees in this study is similar to that identified in other research on Iraqi refugees in Egypt (e.g., Fargues et al 2008;Sadek 2011).…”

“…In addition to Iraqi refugees, whose numbers have declined over the years since 2007, Egypt has significant Sudanese, Palestinian, Syrian, Somali, Ethiopian, and Eritrean refugee populations. Sadek (2011) has described the Egyptian state's response to refugees as 'passive'. This is because although Egypt is a signatory to the UN's 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, it has entered a number of reservations related to labor, personal status, public relief, education, rationing, and social security (Badawy 2009).…”

“…Egypt does not have domestic refugee legislation, and, in general, the government does not actively concern itself with refugees except when it considers them to be threats to national security. In the case of Iraqis, this occurred on several occasions when the state intervened in refugees' efforts to build a mosque or establish a community organization (Minnick 2009;Sadek 2011).…”