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Improving Social Protection for Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Egypt: an Overview of International Practices

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© UNICEF/UN062478/Romenzi Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices Marina Andrade, Lucas Sato and Maya Hammad—International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) Research Report No. 57 Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices By Marina Andrade, Lucas Sato and Maya Hammad Copyright© 2021 International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) This publication is one of the outputs of the UN to UN agreement between the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG)— and the UNICEF Egypt Country Office. The International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) is a partnership between the United Nations and the Government of Brazil to promote South–South learning on social policies. The IPC-IG is linked to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Brazil, the Ministry of Planning, Development, Budget and Management of Brazil (MP) and the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea) of the Government of Brazil. Authors Rights and permissions—all rights reserved Marina Andrade (IPC-IG) The text and data in this publication may be reproduced Lucas Sato (IPC-IG) as long as the source is cited. Reproductions for commercial Maya Hammad (IPC-IG) purposes are forbidden. Research Coordinators The International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth disseminates the findings of its work in progress to encourage the exchange IPC-IG of ideas about development issues. The papers are signed by Anna Carolina Machado (IPC-IG) the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, Charlotte Bilo (IPC-IG) interpretations, and conclusions that they express are those Fábio Veras Soares (Ipea and IPC-IG) of the authors and not necessarily those of the United Nations Rafael Osorio (Ipea and IPC-IG) Development Programme or the Government of Brazil or the United Nations Children’s Fund. UNICEF Lina Nabarawy (UNICEF Egypt) Luigi Peter Ragno (UNICEF Egypt) This publication is available online at www.ipcig.org. Designed by the IPC-IG Publications team For further information on IPC-IG publications, Roberto Astorino, Flávia Amaral, Priscilla Minari and Manoel Salles please feel free to contact [email protected]. Suggested citation: Andrade, M., Sato, L., Hammad, M. 2021. Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices. Research Report No. 57. Brasília and Cairo: International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). ISSN: 2526-0499 IMPROVING SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR MIGRANTS, REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN EGYPT: AN OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research report is the result of a partnership between the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Egypt Country Office. It was prepared by Marina Cruz de Andrade, Lucas Freschi Sato and Maya Husni Nazem Hammad (all IPC-IG). We thank Luigi Peter Ragno and Lina Nabarawy (both UNICEF Egypt) for their partnership and support during the preparation of this research report, for organising the PROSPECTS roundtable and for their extensive review, valuable comments and overall practical guidance throughout the project. Also, we would like to thank the participants of the PROSPECTS Roundtable that took place on 9 December 2020 for their participation, valuable comments and inputs to this research report. Finally, we thank Anna Carolina Machado and Charlotte Bilo (both IPC-IG) for their contributions to the research report, their peer review and their overall effort to assist the realisation of this project. 4 | Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices CONTENTSCONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 10 1. INTRODUCTION 13 1.1 Overview of migration trends in Egypt 15 1.2 Socio-economic information and main risks and vulnerabilities associated with forced migration in Egypt 19 2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: MIGRANTS, REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS AND ACCESS TO SOCIAL PROTECTION 22 2.1 International migration 22 2.2 The key role of social protection for all international migrants 25 2.3 Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers' access to social protection: A human rights-based approach 29 2.4 Shock-responsive social protection 31 3. REVIEW OF COUNTRIES' EXPERIENCES THAT ENSURE INCLUSIVE SOCIAL PROTECTION 32 3.1 Social assistance 32 3.2 Social insurance 37 3.3 Labour market 41 3.4 Access to basic public services 45 3.5 Financing migrant-friendly social protection policies 47 3.6 The COVID-19 crisis: Exposing gaps and expanding social protection systems 49 Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices | 5 CONTENTS 4. CASE STUDY: EGYPT AS A MIGRATION HOST COUNTRY 50 4.1 Overview of international migrants’ legal social protection coverage and national legislation on children’s rights in Egypt 50 4.2 Challenges and opportunities for extending social protection to international migrants in Egypt 58 5. CONCLUSION AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 64 5.1 Discussion of factors enabling the inclusion of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in social protection systems 64 5.2 Protection and cross-cutting recommendations 66 REFERENCES 70 6 | Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices LIST OF BOXES Box 1. Access to social protection in Egypt for Palestinian nationals 59 Box 2. Access to social protection in Egypt for Sudanese nationals 60 Box 3. Access to social protection in Egypt for Syrian nationals 61 Box 4. Summary of enabling factors identified in this study to expand access to SP for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in countries of transit and destination 64 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Groups of international migrants covered in this study 14 Figure 2. Total population of concern to UNHCR in Egypt, 2010–2019 16 Figure 3. Total population of refugees and asylum-seekers in Egypt by country of origin, end of 2019 17 Figure 4. Demographic composition of refugees and asylum-seekers in Egypt by country of origin, end of 2019 18 Figure 5. Personal remittances received, as share of GDP, 1977–2019 19 Figure 6. Strategic programmes for the National Immigration and Asylum Strategy 36 Figure 7. Trends in the distribution of insured individuals by social security coverage category, 2012 and 2018 57 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Rights and exclusions of non-nationals in the labour market, social insurance and social assistance 11 Table 2. Main trends in migration and refugee stock for Egypt, 1990–2019 16 Table 3. Number of forcibly displaced persons by area in Egypt, end of 2019 17 Table 4. Trends in Egypt’s net migration rate, 1990–2020 19 Table 5. Key data from the EVAR 2018 20 Table 6. Concepts and definitions related to migrants, refugees and asylum seeker 23 Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices | 7 LIST OF TABLES Table 7. Social risks and vulnerabilities of migrants at different stages of the international migration cycle 26 Table 8. Main international instruments on protection of migrants’ access to SP 30 Table 9. Enabling factors for expansion of social assistance schemes 32 Table 10. Enabling factors for the inclusion of workers abroad in the national social insurance system 38 Table 11. Enabling factors for the expansion of labour market policies to international migrants 41 Table 12. Enabling factors for the expansion of basic services to international migrants 46 Table 13. Ratification of or accession to relevant international instruments by Egypt 52 Table 14. Main international human rights instruments and status per country in the MENA region 53 Table 15. Exemptions for refugees and stateless persons in past Ministerial Decisions on the rules and implementation practices for licensing foreign workers 54 Table 16. Previous social insurance laws and the categories of workers they benefit 55 Table 17. Employer and employee contributions to social insurance benefits in Law No. 148/2019 56 8 | Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CAPMAS Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights EU European Union EVAR Egypt Vulnerability Assessment for Refugees GDP Gross domestic product ICRMW International Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Their Families ILO International Labour Organization IOM International Organization for Migration IPC-IG International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth MENA Middle East and North Africa OHCHR Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights OWWA Overseas Workers Welfare Administration SP Social protection SPE Servicio Público de Empleo UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund Improving social protection for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt: An overview of international practices | 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report analyses noteworthy practices adopted by countries
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