Abstract

This study examines Egyptian government discourse on refugees in 2024, a year characterized by heightened regional displacement and the enactment of Egypt’s first Asylum Law (Law No. 164 of

2024). Using a multidisciplinary framework that combines framing analysis with van Dijk's socio-cognitive approach, the study systemically analyzes how the government construct refugees on social

media and sets the boundaries of their inclusion in Egypt.

The thesis analyzes the Egyptian government discourse on refugees across official social media platforms from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, a period that witnessed an increase in the government engagement in the refugee issue as a result of the growing number of refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt that have exceeded one million. The corpus consists of 110 social media post published by two government entities: the Egyptian Cabinet and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates (MoFA). Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study quantitatively examines dominant frames, the frequency of descriptive elements, and the conflation of the terms “refugees” and “migrants.” This is complemented by qualitative critical discourse analysis (CDA), which investigates lexical choices, metaphors, macro- and micro-structures, and underlying political ideologies in line with Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model. Through this approach, the study identifies dominant political ideologies in discourse and analyzes how they shape policy orientations and define the boundaries of refugees’ inclusion in Egypt.

Key findings from the analysis include the identification of 423 distinct frames, with the Capacity and Resource Frame, External Regulation and Reputation Frame, and Economic Frame emerging as the most dominant in government discourse. Analysis of lexical choices revealed frequent conflation of the terms “refugees” and “migrants”, alongside repeated references to the number of refugees. Further ideological examination highlighted a strategic use of positive self-representation coupled with negative other representation, reflecting how the government frames its own role and actions in managing refugee issues and its political priorities regarding the topic.

School

School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Department

Public Policy & Administration Department

Degree Name

MA in Public Policy

Graduation Date

Fall 2-15-2026

Submission Date

1-29-2026

First Advisor

Hussein Amin

Committee Member 1

Rasha Allam

Committee Member 2

Rana Hendy

Extent

87p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

Disclosure of AI Use

Thesis editing and/or reviewing; Other

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