Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CAIRO1993
2009-10-20 13:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

UNHCR CAIRO DISCUSSES REFUGEE CHALLENGES

Tags:  PREL PREF SU IZ SO ER IS EG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #1993/01 2931356
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 201356Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3934
INFO RUCNRCC/REFUGEE COORDINATOR COLLECTIVE
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA 0215
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0362
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 1378
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001993 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF/SPG, AF/E, PRM FOR LANGE, PRM
FOR GILMORE, PRM FOR COOLEY, JERUSALEM FOR KAPLAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2019
TAGS: PREL, PREF, SU, IZ, SO, ER, IS, EG
SUBJECT: UNHCR CAIRO DISCUSSES REFUGEE CHALLENGES

REF: CAIRO 1852

Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs
Donald A. Blome for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001993

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF/SPG, AF/E, PRM FOR LANGE, PRM
FOR GILMORE, PRM FOR COOLEY, JERUSALEM FOR KAPLAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2019
TAGS: PREL, PREF, SU, IZ, SO, ER, IS, EG
SUBJECT: UNHCR CAIRO DISCUSSES REFUGEE CHALLENGES

REF: CAIRO 1852

Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs
Donald A. Blome for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

1. (C) Key Points:

-- UNHCR Cairo held an October 12 meeting to brief donor
country representatives and NGO partners on refugee issues.
UNHCR leadership in Cairo and Geneva are concerned with the
increase in shootings of African migrants on the Egypt-Israel
border. They expect the shootings to continue because of the
deteriorating human rights and security situations in the
Horn of Africa, the lack of economic opportunities for
refugees in Egypt, and the increased focus on security in the
Sinai.

-- The increase in Sudanese gang violence, racial and sexual
harassment, and sexual and gender-based violence are among
the other concerns that UNHCR Cairo is trying to address.

-- UNHCR officials made an appeal to the NGOs to help
"recruit children" to apply for the UNHCR education grants.
Two weeks into the school year only 45 percent of refugee
children have applied for the grants.

-- UNHCR says it will meet its goals to resettle 900 refugees
in 2009, most of whom are survivors of violence or have dire
medical needs. UNHCR Cairo's voluntary repatriation efforts
to both Iraq and South Sudan have slowed due to security
concerns in the home countries.

2. (C) Comment: Neither African nor Iraqi refugees or
migrants see Egypt as a desirable place to live. Africans,
in particular, face racial discrimination, little chance for
resettlement, and few job opportunities except for women to
work as domestic servants. UNHCR staff in Egypt do not view
resettlement as a good option because, like the Government of
Egypt (GoE),they fear resettlement could attract African
refugees to Egypt. This leaves repatriation as the only
durable solution for most refugees.

3. (U) UNHCR's Cairo office hosted a meeting on October 12 to
brief the donor community and NGO partners on the status of
its refugee efforts in Egypt. UNHCR staff addressed the key
issues of protection, durable solutions,
activities/programming, and budget.

--------------
Border Shoot
ings and Irregular Movement
--------------

4. (C) Saad Al Attar, Country Director for UNHCR Cairo said
UNHCR's chief concern is the protection of refugees. He said
the main issue is the continued shootings of migrants and
refugees on the Egypt-Israel border (reftel). UNHCR expects
this trend to continue due to the deteriorating human rights
and security situations in Sudan, Eritrea, and Somalia, the
lack of economic opportunities for refugees in Egypt, and the
increased focus on security in the Sinai. Al Attar said the
30,000-40,000 African migrants working in Israel are a draw
for refugees in Cairo looking for a better life. He said
UNHCR is not given access to refugees or migrants shot or
arrested in the Sinai as it is banned from the peninsula.
Privately, Al Attar said he and UNHCR's Country Director for
Israel William Tall plan to meet in Amman, Jordan on October
28-29 to develop "strategic options" to deal with the problem
before UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner Erika Feller comes
to Egypt in December to discuss this issue with Egyptian
officials. Al Attar is also concerned with the increase in
the "irregular movement" of migrants. According to UNHCR,
approximately 2,000 migrants, primarily from Sudan, Eritrea,
and Ethiopia enter Egypt every month. He said most do not
register with UNHCR, but instead try to make their way to
Europe or Israel.

--------------
Local Protection Problems
--------------

5. (C) UNHCR and NGO staff noted an increase in Sudanese gang
violence in Cairo over the past three months is making life
more dangerous for the refugee community. UNHCR also noted a
growth in incidents of racial and sexual harassment of
refugees. Al Attar believes the violence and harassment are
related to "harder economic conditions" brought on by the
return of Egyptian workers from the Gulf who have moved into
the informal labor market to compete with the refugee
population. UNHCR's efforts to provide a shelter to protect
81 unaccompanied minors hit a snag when their local partner
was unable to gain authorization from the GoE for its
operations. Al Attar said UNHCR is looking to find a new
partner for the project and is working to find short-term
foster care for the minors. UNHCR is also working with
women's groups on a plan to raise awareness and address
problems of sexual and gender-based violence against refugee
women as well as combating FGM amongst Somali women.

--------------
Increase in Somali and Eritrean Registrants
--------------

6. (SBU) Each month 200-250 "new refugees" register with
UNHCR Cairo. This year, 52% of new registrants are Sudanese,
26% Somali, 13% Iraqi, and 9% from other areas in Africa,
primarily Eritrea. These figures represent a substantial
increase in the percentage of Somali and Eritrean refugees in
the country. Egypt recently implemented a more stringent
visa regime to restrict new refugee arrivals from Somalia,
but this could serve to increase the amount of Somalis
involved in irregular movement. According to Al Attar, the
"new Iraqi refugees" are not new arrivals, but are Iraqis who
have been living in Egypt since 2006, but have depleted their
savings. (Note: Since 2008, approximately 2,600 Iraqi
refugees have closed their files with UNHCR with a view to
depart from Egypt. We estimate that the number of Iraqi
living in Egypt to be 20,000 of which 9,000 are registered as
refugees. End Note).

--------------
Educational Grants Unclaimed
--------------

7. (SBU) Al Attar made an appeal to the NGOs to help "recruit
children" to apply for the UNHCR education grants. UNHCR has
education grants for all of the 10,000 registered children,
but two weeks into the school year only 45 percent have
applied for the grants. UNHCR provides grants of 2000
Egyptian pounds (USD 360) for students in private schools,
1300 pounds (USD 270) for refugee schools, and 1000 pounds
(USD 180) for public schools. These grants cover
approximately 80 percent of the costs incurred by refugee
children for their education. Sudanese refugees are the only
children that are permitted to attend Egyptian public
schools, although the majority of Sudanese children attend
refugee schools run by churches and other NGOs. Iraqi
children attend private schools.

--------------
Resettlement and Repatriation Efforts
--------------

8. (SBU) UNHCR Cairo said it is on target to resettle its
goal of 900 refugees this year. As of the end of October it
will have resettled 730 individuals. Based on UNHCR Cairo
criteria, those that qualify for resettlement are limited to
a) survivors of violence or torture, b) women at risk, and c)
those with medical needs not available or affordable in
Egypt. UNHCR Cairo's voluntary repatriation efforts to both
Iraq and South Sudan have slowed due to security concerns in
the home countries. To date, 522 South Sudanese and 584
Iraqis have returned to their home countries. However,
Embassy contacts report that many South Sudanese have
returned to Cairo because of the lack of security and jobs in
South Sudan.

--------------
UNHCR Cairo Proposes a Budget Increase
--------------

9. (C) UNHCR Cairo's proposed budget for 2010 is USD 10.3
million, up 25% from the 8.3 million it received both in '08
and '09. However, Al Attar noted this amount, if approved,
still does not compensate for the approximate 40% increase in
cost of living in Egypt over the same period.
Scobey