Access to civil status documents is paramount to the protection of refugees as failure to access these documents may result in several protection risks including: irregular stay in country of asylum and risk of arrest and or detention; situations of statelessness; limited opportunities for durable solutions and difficulties in accessing assistance.
Urban refugees in Egypt, predominantly from Sub-Saharan Africa, Iraq and Yemen, generally have access to civil registration and status documentation. In 2018, 1,007 refugee children were registered through regular birth registration process, while 193 children were registered through late registration process. However, challenges related to language barriers and comprehension of the Egyptian legal system have been expressed during the 2019 Participatory Assessment consultations.
There have also been some reported instances of denied or hindered access to birth certificates due to certain legal and administrative impediments, particularly in cases of children who are born as a result of sexual violence, out of wedlock, or within child-marriages. In such instances, UNHCR legal partners have been able to step in and help resolve the impediments.
Like in previous years, administrative processes associated with registering marriage and divorce remain lengthy, hence, some refugees are discouraged from formally registering their marriages and divorce processes. Other challenges include lengthy processes related to securing exit permits for resettlement to a third country or return to countries of origin and difficulties in resolving custody and inheritance issues.
Instances of family re-unification in Egyptian for refugees from Africa, Iraq and Yemen remain vague and decided on a case by case basis. UNHCR’s approach is to advocate with the competent authorities for all deserving cases. Occasionally, triangular resettlement with other countries has been alternatively used to resolve some of the instances.
UNHCR, through its legal partners, will continue to work with the Government to improve access of refugees to civil registration, monitor the issuance of legal documents, and support 1,200 refugees of those facing barriers to access the registries.
UNHCR will also continue to advocate for effective family reunification processes that allow safe and dignified prospects for refugees and asylum-seekers to be reunited with their first degree family members in Egypt.
Legal assistance to all refugees to obtain and authenticate civil documentation will be sustained, in addition to enhancement of the legal partners capacity, increased monitoring of services’ availability and accessibility, consolidation of procedural and legal gaps through ongoing data collection, and engagement with the community in focus group discussions, awareness raising sessions and community outreach.
Sensitization sessions for police and health service providers, such as public health centres and private and public hospitals, on the importance of issuing birth notifications will be extended and complemented by varied advocacy channels.
For the planning period and through its legal partners, UNHCR expects to respond to 2,500 refugees by provision of information and support in obtaining civil documentations.