We, the undersigned, submit this urgent petition to express our deep concern over the worsening situation of refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt, particularly Sudanese refugees, who are facing systematic violations of their fundamental human rights.

Over recent months, refugees in Egypt have been subjected to arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, family separation, and serious threats of forced deportation, despite many of them being registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or holding asylum seeker documentation.

Documented Violations Include:

Arbitrary arrests without judicial warrants

Detention without legal basis or access to lawyers

Detention of registered refugees and asylum seekers

Separation of children from their parents

Denial of communication with families and legal representatives

Risk of forced deportation in violation of the principle of non-refoulement

These practices constitute clear violations of:

International Refugee Law

International Human Rights Law

The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol

The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

UNHCR Egypt’s Failure

We strongly condemn the institutional negligence and failure of UNHCR Egypt to fulfill its mandate of protection. Despite repeated alerts, documented cases, and urgent appeals, UNHCR has failed to:

Intervene effectively to prevent arbitrary detention

Provide legal assistance to detained refugees

Ensure family unity and child protection

Take timely action to prevent forced deportations

This failure has left refugees exposed, unprotected, and at serious risk.

Responsibility of the Egyptian Authorities

We hold the Egyptian authorities fully responsible for the ongoing arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, and violations of refugees’ rights. These actions undermine Egypt’s obligations under international and regional human rights frameworks and place vulnerable populations in grave danger.

Our Demands:

We urgently call on:

The Government of Egypt

UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva

UNHCR Egypt

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Relevant UN Special Procedures

To take immediate action and ensure:

The immediate release of all refugees and asylum seekers detained arbitrarily

An immediate halt to mass arrests of refugees

Full respect for the principle of non-refoulement and an end to forced deportations

Guaranteed access to lawyers, families, and legal remedies

Accountability and transparent review of UNHCR Egypt’s failures

International monitoring and urgent protection measures for refugees in Egypt

Refugees are not criminals. Seeking safety is not a crime.

Silence and inaction cost lives.

We call on the international community to act now.