FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights
Press Release
Egypt: Hostile environment for Syrian refugees
How long will the international community remain indifferent?
Paris, Cairo, 24 September 2013 – Syrian refugees in Egypt face an increasingly hostile environment, including violence, arrest, detention and forced returns, while the international community displays indifference to their plight. Urgent measures are required by UN and EU Member States to address a spiraling tragedy, FIDH said today.
On 17 September 2013, the Egyptian border patrol opened fire on a boat leaving Alexandria to Italy, carrying over a hundred Syrian and Palestinian refugees. Two of them, Omar Delol and Fadwa Taha, were killed. This is the latest lethal illustration of the dramas facing Syrian refugees in Egypt.
According to the UNHCR, as of September 2013, there are approximately 125,000 Syrian refugees in Egypt who are registered or awaiting registration. However it is estimated that there are over a quarter of a million Syrian refugees residing in the country. As the conflict continues, numbers will continue to rise.
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