Protection Threats: After the Revolution

2.5 Protection Threats: After the Revolution

The revolution created significant vulnerabilities and for weeks to have their appointments rescheduled. Monthly protection threats for all refugee populations in Egypt. cash stipends from Caritas to refugees were interrupted UNHCR closed its offices for several days and evacuated during the protests, leaving a number of refugee families in international staff during a portion of the uprisings in critical financial situations. There was a rise in both protest- January 2011. With the offices were closed, refugees were related violence and criminal violence during the revolution, not able to receive services they required, and those with creating palpable fear among refugee populations and appointments scheduled during the revolution had to wait the local Egyptian population alike. UNHCR reported to us

7 The Egyptian Muslim population is overwhelmingly Sunni. In contrast, only approximately 20 per cent of Iraqis are Sunni, creating a perception among Egyptians that most Iraqis come from a different sectarian background.

that xenophobic attitudes increased during and after the revolution; African refugees were particularly vulnerable to xenophobic harassment due to the long history of racially-based discrimination and harassment against African refugees in Cairo even prior to the revolution. Refugees of all nationalities also reported more complaints to UNHCR about problems with their landlords: many more than usual were being evicted or reported that their landlords were raising the rent on their apartment. This was attributable to both increasing xenophobic attitudes and the real economic hardship experienced by the entire Egyptian population after the revolution.

Iraqis: Fearful

In our interviews, a number of Iraqis who applied to UNHCR- Egypt for refugee status expressed fears for their lives in light of the deteriorating security situation in the Egypt, particularly during the revolution. UNHCR also reported to our team that significant numbers of Iraqis applied for refugee status for the first time after January 2011, even though they had been in Egypt for a long time. These applications represented Iraqis’ growing fears about their safety and futures in Egypt. Stakeholders also reported that Iraqi refugees’ anxiety and fear during and after the revolution was significantly higher than other refugee populations, perhaps related to trauma from the very recent wartime fighting they had experienced. St. Andrews and other organizations held psychosocial support sessions to help respond to the Iraqis’ anxiety. However, it appears that fears about safety and security caused many Iraqi refugees to further isolate themselves in the aftermath of the revolution, fearing to venture too far from home to access resources and services from NGOs located in the center of Cairo. Though the research team was not aware of any specific violent threats against Iraqis, given the number of deaths during the revolution, the perception of fear was very real. Reportedly, the Iraqi embassy in Cairo offered to return any Iraqi citizens to Baghdad should they wish to return. However, some of the Iraqis we spoke with were afraid to return to Iraq for fear of what could happen to them there, while at the same time fearing to remain in Egypt.

African Refugees: Don’t Feel Safe

Other refugees were also fearful. A male Ethiopian refugee said:

I don’t feel safe here in Egypt now more than ever because of the current situation. It is unpredictable as to what may happen next. What if the people do not want us in Egypt anymore? What will happen to us? When the demonstrations started in Cairo, the UNHCR-Egypt closed its office and left and refugees were stranded without anyone to protect us. I am even afraid to go the coffee shops because

I am afraid of the way the locals look at us. I don’t feel safe anymore. I have heard of refugees who

have been robbed and attacked by the locals. Especially our women are subjected to more and more attacks and abuse by the locals and that is very frustrating. We don’t have any rights here and we are discriminated because of our skin color.

Egyptians: Experiencing Increased Insecurity

Although many Egyptians did not trust and feared the policy long before the revolution, they did feel safe, particularly in neighborhoods they knew well. After the revolution, Egyptians interviewed in the course of this study shared the same fear and anxiety about safety and security expressed by refugees.

I don’t think Cairo is safe. I used to feel safe before the revolution, but now I don’t. I wouldn’t go to the police. They have always treated people badly and now so much is changing, it is difficult to tell how the police will react; they are unpredictable which makes me afraid to approach a policeman.

A young Egyptian man

It’s a “security vacuum.” I am a Christian and I am constantly subjected to violations from all sides. On March 5, 2011 in Giza Muslims attacked Christians gathered in a church, desecrated the church, and set it on fire while the army looked on and did nothing.

A young Christian Egyptian man Parents, both Egyptians and refugees, expressed increased

concerns about the safety of their children after the revolution. Before the revolution, an Egyptian woman we interviewed had moved with her family to 6th of October because it was a safe neighborhood. However, since the revolution she is feeling less and less secure there. “There are some bad people in 6th of October,” she said, “and they have spread since the revolution. They have no ethics or religion and there is no police since the revolution so anyone can take your purse. I do not let my children go outside alone.”

At the same time, there were individual refugees who reported that the revolution affected their lives in some positive ways, as well. For example, many Iraqis participated in the neighborhood watch groups that formed during the 18 days of the revolution in January 2011. These Iraqis reported that this was an important step in helping them to get to know their neighbors and feel like part of their local community. Refugee stakeholders also reported that their Eritrean, Ethiopian, Somali and Sudanese clients reported similar experiences during the initial days of the protests. Since January 2011, however, feelings of community cohesion that took place during the initial “emergency” of the revolution have abated, and further steps are necessary to ensure that refugees are better integrated into their local communities.

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