Sudanese Rights Group Welcomes Egypt Asylum Law, Calls for Release of Detained Refugees

Sudanese voices Wed/June /3rd By Hussein Saad The Sudanese Group for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms and the Darfur Bar Association. have welcomed the issuance of the executive regulations of Egypt’s Asylum Law No. 164 of 2024, describing the completion of the law’s legal and regulatory framework as an important step toward organizing the status of refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt and strengthening their legal protection. In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the two organizations said that the publication of the executive regulations in Egypt’s Official Gazette, Issue No. 21 (Supplement B) dated May 21, 2026, completed the procedural requirements necessary for implementing the law, which entered into force following its publication in the Official Gazette on December 16, 2024. The statement explained that the law has now entered the implementation phase after the appointment of the head of the Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs and the issuance of regulations governing its procedures. This paves the way for the application of the law’s provisions to those covered by legal protection, including holders of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards and asylum seekers. The Sudanese Group for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms and the Darfur Bar Association also announced their intention to submit a memorandum to the Chairperson of the Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs, calling for the release of Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers detained in Egyptian police stations for violations related to legal residency requirements. The statement emphasized that the request aims to enable detainees to regularize their legal status in accordance with the provisions of the new asylum law. It stressed that the demand does not apply to individuals facing criminal charges or investigations unrelated to residency violations. The two organizations noted that applying the law’s provisions to detained Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers would contribute to resolving their legal and humanitarian situations in line with the guarantees and protections provided under Egypt’s new asylum legislation.