The United Nations has clarified that the 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers registered in Egypt do not represent the country’s full foreign population, but only those officially recorded with the UN refugee agency.
The clarification was made by Elena Panova, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, after some media reports suggested that the 1.1 million figure reflected the total number of refugees or foreign residents in the country. According to Panova, the number refers only to people registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, while Egypt hosts a much larger population of migrants, refugees and foreign nationals.
Egypt Hosts Millions Beyond Official UNHCR Registrations
Egyptian authorities have previously estimated that the country hosts around 10.5 million migrants, refugees and foreign nationals, a figure far higher than the number registered with UNHCR. The difference highlights the scale of Egypt’s migration landscape and the challenge of measuring populations that include refugees, asylum seekers, economic migrants, students, workers and expatriates.
Panova said the UN recognises Egypt’s long-standing role in receiving people fleeing conflict, persecution and instability. She also stressed the importance of continued international support for countries that host large displaced populations.
The issue has become increasingly important as Egypt continues to call for broader burden-sharing from the international community. With conflicts and instability in parts of the region pushing more people across borders, Cairo has repeatedly argued that hosting large numbers of displaced people creates economic and social pressure on state services.
New Asylum System Will Shift More Responsibility to Egyptian Authorities
The clarification comes as Egypt prepares to implement a new national asylum framework under the 2024 Foreigners’ Asylum Law. The law will transfer responsibility for determining refugee status from UNHCR to Egyptian authorities, marking a major change in how asylum procedures are managed in the country.
In May, Egypt approved the executive regulations for the new law. These rules are expected to take effect three months after their publication, giving government agencies, refugees and asylum seekers time to prepare for the transition.
The new asylum framework is part of a wider effort launched in recent years to regulate the legal status of foreign residents in Egypt. These measures cover refugees, migrants and expatriates, and are intended to bring more people into formal legal channels.
For migrants and refugees in Egypt, the UN clarification is important because it separates officially registered asylum cases from the broader foreign population. It also shows that Egypt’s migration situation is more complex than a single figure can describe, especially as the country moves toward a new state-led asylum system.
