Paper No.10/ October 2017 Surviving in Cairo as a Closed-FilE REfugeE: Socio-Economic and Protection Challenges Nourhan Abdel Aziz THE CENTER FOR MIGRATION AND REFUGEE STUDIES In collaboration with THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (IIED) 1 THE CENTER FOR MIGRATION AND REFUGEE STUDIES (CMRS) The Center for Migration and Refugee Studies (CMRS) is an interdisciplinary center of the American University in Cairo (AUC). Situated at the heart of the Middle East and North Africa, it aims at furthering the scientific knowledge of the large, long-standing recent refugee and migration movements witnessed in this region. But it also is concerned with questions of refugees and migration in the international system as a whole, both at the theoretical and practical levels. CMRS functions include instruction, research, training, and outreach. It offers a Master of Arts degree and a graduate diploma in Migration and Refugee studies, working with other AUC departments to offer diversified courses to its students. Its research bears on issues of interest to the region and beyond. In carrying its research out, CMRS collaborates with reputable regional and international academic institutions. The training activities that CMRS organizes are attended by researchers, policymakers, bureaucrats and civil society activists from a great number of countries. The center also provides tailor-made training programs on demand. CMRS outreach involves working with individuals and organizations in its environment, disseminating knowledge and sensitization to refugee and migration issues. It also provides services to the refugee community in Cairo and transfers its expertise in this respect to other international institutions. THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (IIED) IIED is a policy and action research organisation. We promote sustainable development to improve livelihoods and protect the environments on which these livelihoods are built. We specialise in linking local priorities to global challenges. IIED is based in London and works in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific, with some of the world’s most vulnerable people. We work with them to strengthen their voice in the decision-making arenas that affect them — from village councils to international conventions. © Copyright by [Abdel Aziz], 2017 All Rights Reserved Opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies (CMRS) or the American University in Cairo. 2 Preface “Closed-file refugees” are asylum seekers who have been determined as not deserving the refugee status. They are among the least protected and most hidden communities in all countries. This applies to closed-file refugees in Egypt. The legal status of ‘closed-file’ and their conceptualization is problematic. The government, international organizations and civil society deal with them as irregular migrants. However, they continue to identify themselves as refugees. They are usually unwilling to return to their countries of origin. They are not eligible for resettlement because they are not recognized as refugees. As a result, their only option is to try and integrate in the local community. But lacking legal status and with fragile protection, their integration is hindered and their socio-economic conditions are dire. The situation of rejected asylum seekers in Egypt has not been sufficiently analyzed. Documenting it, therefore is particularly important and is the rationale for this study, undertaken with closed-file refugees in Cairo, which focuses on several pillars of livelihoods, including: housing/shelter, education, employment, and healthcare. The study also examines issues related to their legal status, access to justice, and the sexual and gender-based violence they endure. It does not only deal with challenges, but also attempts to portray their strategies and mechanisms, positive and negative, to cope with the irregularity of their status. This study – “Surviving in Cairo as a Closed-File Refugee: Socio-economic and Protection Challenges” – documents the challenges faced by rejected asylum seekers in Egypt. It is one of the research priorities of the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies’ (CMRS), of the American University in Cairo (AUC), to understand the livelihoods of urban refugees in Egypt and the challenges to their integration. CMRS has produced a similar study on rejected asylum seekers from Sudan in 2005. This study, however, looks at five different communities: Sudanese, South Sudanese, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Somali. The research team that produced the study included researchers from CMRS and 12 field researchers from the five communities. It used a mixed-methods approach that combined focus groups with rejected asylum seekers and closed-files refugees, and in-depth interviews with civil society actors and gate keepers from all communities under study. CMRS hopes it could produce a useful and direct perspective on the livelihood and protection issues raised by the situation of rejected asylum seekers in Egypt. The aim is to contribute to reinforcing the protection of these individuals and to secure sustainable means of livelihood for them, account being taken of the challenges faced by a developing country such as Egypt. CMRS also hopes the study will be useful to policymakers, researchers and civil society organizations interested in improving the lives of all irregular migrants and refugees everywhere. Ibrahim Awad, Ph.D. Director, Center for Migration and Refugee Studies 3 Abstract Using data generated from twenty-nine focus groups with 186 closed-file and rejected asylum seekers residing in Cairo, as well as interviews with community leaders and service providers, this report explores their livelihood experiences by focusing on their socio- economic conditions and protection challenges. Discussions focused on the important aspects of livelihoods which include: housing, education, health and employment. Their legal status, access to justice, and experiences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) were also explored. In spite of the barriers that many of them routinely face, the target groups communicated their coping strategies that help them survive in Egypt and overcome the structural barriers they face as a consequence of their legal status. Keywords: Closed files, rejected asylum seekers, Egypt, Urban areas, Vulnerable groups 4 Acknowledgement First and foremost I would like to thank all the research participants who dedicated time to participate in the focus group discussions and the interviews. I would also like to express my appreciation to representatives of international, local and community-based organizations who, despite their busy schedules, gave their time to participate in this research project. I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous effort of the field researchers: Eman Eglawy, Mai Ghareeb, Salah Salih, Ruma Fanous, Mohamed Menalla, Ismail Abubaker, Faruk Temam, Numan Ahmed, Semir Ali, Fitsum Belay, Abdirahman Hassan, Faadumo Rooble. Special recognition must be made to Noha Aman, the fieldwork supervisor, without whom this research would not have been possible Last but not least, I am very grateful to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) for funding this study. A special thanks goes to Diane Archer for her continuous support, guidance, and advice throughout the different stages of the project. 5 Table of Contents Preface 3 Abstract 4 Acknowledgments 5 Table of contents 6 1 Introduction 8 1.1 Research aims and objectives 8 1.2 Terminologies and concepts 9 2 Methodology 13 2.1 Research methods and approaches 13 2.2 Screening and mapping the target groups 14 2.3 Challenges and limitations 15 3 Legal framework governing refugees and migrants in Egypt 16 4 Policy and institutional frameworks for refugees and migrants in Egypt 17 4.1 The UN surrogate state: government of Egypt–UNHCR relations 18 4.2 UNHCR institutional asylum procedures 19 5 Socio-economic and livelihood challenges 20 5.1 Demographic characteristics 20 5.2 Housing challenges 22 5.3 Employment challenges 27 5.4 Education challenges 31 5.5 Health challenges 34 6 Protection challenges 34 6.1 Legal status and access to justice 34 6.2 Sexual and gender-based violence 36 7 Conclusions and recommendations 37 7.1 Recommendations to UNHCR 37 7.2 Recommendations to the government of Egypt 38 7.3 Recommendations to service providers 38 7.4 Recommendations to community leaders 38 7.5 Recommendations for cross collaboration 39 References 40 6 List of figures and boxes Figure 1. Sample breakdown by age per community Figure 2. Sample breakdown of marital status per community Figure 3. Number of individuals per household per community Figure 4. Employment status per community Figure 5. Jobs of female participants in countries of origin Figure 6. Jobs of female participants in Egypt Figure 7. Jobs of male participants in countries of origin Figure 8. Jobs of male participants in Egypt Figure 9. Educational level completed Table 1. Official numbers of closed-file refugees in Egypt per nationality group Table 2. Focus group discussions and respondents per community Table 3. UNHCR's recommended renewal policy according to the stage of the case in the RSD process Acronyms AUC The American University in Cairo CMRS Center for Migration and Refugee Studies, AUC FGM Female genital mutilation FGDs Focus group discussions ID Identification document