Department

Public Policy Hub

Description or Abstract

Egypt hosts a significant number of refugees, asylum-seekers, and vulnerable migrants. There are over 9 million migrants of diverse nationalities, including 1.5 million migrants living in a vulnerable situation (JPMR, 2022). As of June 2025, approximately one million registered refugees and asylum-seekers reside in Egypt (UNHCR, 2025). This substantial population faces considerable legal, economic, and social hurdles. Their presence in the Egyptian labor market presents a complex dynamic, given that they are mostly present in the informal labor market, making it more challenging for the state to benefit from their inclusion in the formal labor market. Furthermore, the formal inclusion faced many challenges, initially, legislative. However, after the issuance of the Asylum Law No.164 in December 2024, a unified legal framework was established, which, in theoretical terms, fostered inclusion. Nevertheless, the pre-existing challenges went beyond the legal framework, which is the focus of this paper, namely, to highlight these challenges and provide evidence-based solutions accordingly.

This policy paper offers a comprehensive framework for integrating refugees, asylum -seekers, and vulnerable migrants into the Egyptian labor market, serving as a guide for the upcoming executive regulation and further policies and legislations on that matter. It examines the current obstacles these individuals face in accessing employment, explores the potential economic and social advantages of their inclusion, analyses existing Egyptian policies, and reviews successful integration models from other nations. The findings of the paper lead to three interconnected policy options: governance, legal access, and skills recognition.

The paper distinguishes between its respective target groups, as asylum-seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants are identified differently and carry a different legislative framework. Therefore, the paper identifies each target group separately, explores the challenges that go well beyond the legislative framework, and reflects on the opportunities and policy recommendations to utilise and overcome those challenges.

Keywords

Labor, Labour, Employment, Formal, Legal, Migration, Migrants, Vulnerable

Faculty Advisor

Dina Mansour-Ille

Content Type

Other

Extent

48

Language

eng

Publisher

The Public Policy Hub, GAPP School

Publisher Location

The American University in Cairo

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