| The Forced Migration and Refugee Studies | | | | three-month protest, said Azzam. He said |
| department at The American University in Cairo | | | | residence permits have to be renewed every six |
| has found that a number of factors led to the | | | | months, meaning refugees always feel they are in |
| three-month Sudanese refugee protest in Cairo. | | | | limbo. |
| Interest in the research, which will be released at | | | | But Fateh Azzam said that other factors, like |
| the end of the month, has grown since last | | | | ignorance, also led to the unrest: |
| December's brutal arrest and detainment of the | | | | "What we found is, in fact, in this research is that |
| refugees protesting decisions made by the U.N. | | | | there is a serious lack of information. People do |
| resettlement office. | | | | not know how to access services, whether it is |
| Students and researchers from The American | | | | healthcare or education or any other," added |
| University in Cairo were already investigating the | | | | Fateh Azzam. "People are very unclear about |
| living conditions of refugees in an urban setting like | | | | what they have the right to access and what |
| Cairo when police stormed the Sudanese protest | | | | they do not have the right to access. There are a |
| camp in Moustafa Mahmoud Square. | | | | lot of assumptions and many of it, it is on the |
| In the early hours of December 30, riot police | | | | part of the Sudanese refugee community |
| surrounded at least 2,000 protesters in an | | | | themselves about, you know, 'No, you cannot go |
| attempt to load them onto buses headed for | | | | and get education there, because that is only for |
| detainment centers. When the protesters | | | | Christians,' or 'That is only for Muslims.' Or you |
| resisted, police doused them with water cannons | | | | know, 'Because the service is provided at a |
| and beat them with batons. | | | | church, I as a Muslim Sudanese am not supposed |
| Families were separated and 27 refugees were | | | | to go there.' You know, rumors of that sort and |
| killed. More refugees are reported to have died in | | | | misinformation of that sort. And there is really no |
| detainment centers due to a lack of medical | | | | place, and that is, I think, it is a failure on the part |
| attention. | | | | of UNHCR, in terms of actually providing very |
| The police raid gave the university research study | | | | clear information for asylum seekers and |
| a new sense of urgency. The university's Forced | | | | refugees about what they can access to make |
| Migration and Refugee Studies department | | | | their lives somewhat easier and manageable while |
| reacted by sending teams of researchers to | | | | they are waiting for what happens in the future." |
| focus on interviewing Sudanese refugees. | | | | Azzam said refugees also complain about |
| Their findings take into account the history of | | | | discrimination and racist comments they |
| migration and cooperation between Sudan and | | | | encounter on the street. Some hostility may be |
| Egypt. Program director Fateh Azzam said | | | | attributed to Egyptians in the informal sector who |
| between two million to four million people from | | | | compete with the Sudanese refugees for work. |
| Sudan are living in Egypt, many of them since the | | | | But Azzam said there is also a reverse racism to |
| 1960s and 1970s, but it is nearly impossible for | | | | consider. Many Sudanese do not want their kids |
| them to fully integrate as Egyptians. | | | | learning Arabic in Egyptian schools, and they would |
| "There has always been a historic relationship with | | | | rather fight for resettlement in countries like |
| Egypt," said Mr. Azzam. "They have come here, | | | | Australia than try to integrate with Egyptian |
| they have married Egyptians and vice-versa. You | | | | society. He said many of the refugees end up |
| know, and they work, they have businesses, they | | | | marginalizing themselves. |
| are professors in universities, including here at | | | | After the police raid, UNHCR worked to gain the |
| AUC. Egypt has been very hospitable as a host | | | | release of the more than 600 protesters who |
| country in many ways, for Sudanese generally, | | | | remained in detention. Dessalegne said the final |
| because of the historic relationship, but also for | | | | group of detainees was released on February 12. |
| the refugees - not only Sudanese refugees. But | | | | Meanwhile, the U.N. office has been tackling an |
| the possibility of real integration and acquisition of | | | | enormous backlog of refugees from Sudan, |
| citizenship, and that sort of, becoming Egyptian, | | | | Somalia and Eritrea. Once the Sudanese |
| are very, very slim. It is not easy to get Egyptian | | | | protesters were removed from Moustafa |
| citizenship. It is extremely difficult." | | | | Mahmoud Square, once all their belongings were |
| The number of refugees entering Egypt depends | | | | cleared and new trees were planted, these other |
| largely on the degree of political strife in | | | | refugees began gathering daily in the same spot |
| neighboring Sudan. | | | | to demand services. In the first two weeks, |
| The more powerful northern Sudan, dominated | | | | Dessalegne said as many as 500 refugees |
| by Muslims, signed a peace treaty with the largely | | | | gathered there per day. |
| Christian and animist south, ending a civil war that | | | | Azzam said the backlog can be attributed to |
| lasted for more than 10 years. But some fighting | | | | UNHCR closing its office during the three-month |
| remains in the south, and in 2003 a new conflict | | | | Sudanese protest. But Dessalegne denies that |
| arose in the western region of Darfur. | | | | UNHCR closed its office, saying they only reduced |
| The protesters who camped for three months in | | | | services. He blames the protesters for obstructing |
| Cairo's Moustafa Mahmoud square came from | | | | access to the office, although the office can be |
| across Sudan to see the regional U.N. | | | | accessed by multiple routes. |
| resettlement office, hoping to go to countries like | | | | "There is a mix of factors," said Damtew |
| Australia, Canada and America. | | | | Dessalegne. "Some, yes, especially the Sudanese, |
| But the UNHCR stopped the Sudanese | | | | there was intimidation, because those in the park |
| resettlement process after the north-south Sudan | | | | wanted their Sudanese fellow nationals to join the |
| peace treaty was signed. The assistant regional | | | | protest and not to deal with UNHCR. Other |
| UNHCR representative Damtew Dessalegne said | | | | nationalities, it is just a logistical problem that |
| the decision was in the refugees' best interest. | | | | prevented them from coming to UNHCR. Some |
| "[The] situation was changing in Sudan, particularly | | | | others thought that UNHCR is simply not |
| in South Sudan," said Mr. Dessalegne. "Positive | | | | operating, dealing only with the protest and not |
| developments. Therefore, not every thousand | | | | with any other issue. So it was for a number of |
| Sudanese coming to Egypt may make a | | | | reasons people were not coming to UNHCR or |
| protection case, if you like, because of the | | | | were not able to access UNHCR." |
| positive developments. On the other hand, an | | | | Dessalegne said the Egyptian government could |
| opposite development in Western Sudan, in | | | | be doing more to aid refugees. He said Egypt is a |
| Darfur. There is no need for us, for UNHCR, to | | | | state partner in a 1951 refugee convention that |
| interview a Darfurian for two, three hours in | | | | assures refugees more rights than the right to |
| order to find out why that person fled Sudan. It | | | | remain. Yet, the unstated policy in Egypt, he said, |
| was obvious, it was clear from objective facts | | | | is that their stay in the country is temporary, |
| we had. Therefore, why not automatically issue | | | | because of overpopulation and a lack of |
| the persons protection through a residence permit | | | | resources. |
| issued by the authorities, without interview. That | | | | Azzam said that since most Sudanese refugees |
| was the rationale. So it was in the best interest | | | | are not prepared to go back to Sudan, and since |
| of the individuals themselves that we temporarily | | | | they cannot be resettled, the message they are |
| suspend refugee-status determination." | | | | getting is that they will have to stay for the |
| The university's research shows that UNHCR's | | | | indefinite future, trying to survive in a place where |
| suspension of interviews ultimately let to the | | | | they are not welcome. |