Despite having hosted a large number of refugees and asylum seekers for several decades, Egypt does not have a national refugee policy. The Egyptian legal framework does not have a specific category of work permit for refugees; those who wish to work formally must apply as foreigners. For many years, refugees have been unable to meet all the requirements needed to obtain a work permit. Due to this difficulty, some refugees engage in incentive work or freelancing, but the income is low and does not meet financial needs. Refugees experience many challenges including the absence of a dedicated legal framework for refugee employment, delayed renewal of documents, and lack of recognition of refugee documentation. The report recommends that the government amend the labour law to explicitly give refugees the right to work, reduce renewal times for residence permits, and that the UNHCR expedite refugee card renewal.
Pathways to employment: Egypt report
Uwezo Ramazani and Albaraa A. Quradi
