El-Sisi, UNHCR chief urge greater support for Egypt amid refugee burden

CAIRO – 25 June 2026: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih on Thursday called for increased international support for Egypt as it continues to host millions of refugees, migrants and foreigners.

The president stated that Egypt has never used the refugee issue to achieve political objectives, stressing the importance of activating the principle of burden- and responsibility-sharing.

El-Sisi received the UNHCR chief in the presence of Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Representative of UNHCR to Egypt and the League of Arab States Hanan Hamdan, UNHCR Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Rema Jamous Imseis, and Special Assistant to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Riz Gardi.

For his part, the UNHCR chief praised Egypt's efforts in hosting millions of foreigners, migrants and refugees, expressing the agency's appreciation for the burdens borne by the Egyptian state to ensure the sustainability of services provided to them.

Salih stressed the need to strengthen international support in line with the scale of Egypt's efforts, saying the burdens placed on the country are substantial and require genuine support and effective responsibility-sharing regarding the hosting of foreigners, migrants and refugees.

The president underscored the need to support Egypt’s new national asylum system, whose executive framework is currently being finalized.

El-Sisi reviewed Egypt's efforts in hosting more than 10.5 million foreigners, migrants and refugees of various nationalities in light of multiple regional and international crises.

He reaffirmed Egypt's keenness on providing them with basic services within its available capacities while ensuring respect for Egyptian laws and the country's international obligations.

El-Sisi also called for adopting a comprehensive approach to addressing refugee and displacement issues by tackling their root causes, including political and security crises as well as economic challenges, in a manner that supports sustainable development and promotes peace and stability in countries of origin.

For his part, the UNHCR chief highlighted the pivotal role played by Egypt and the president in advancing regional stability, describing Egypt as a historically consistent and central anchor of stability in the region.

Salih welcomed steps taken by Egypt to establish its new national asylum system, commending the creation of the Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs and reaffirming the UNHCR's readiness to provide all forms of support for these efforts.

Salih also briefed El-Sisi on his vision for the agency's future work amid mounting global refugee challenges.

He outlined the UNHCR's strategy aimed at reducing refugee numbers worldwide and expressed his aspiration to continue cooperation with Egypt in this regard, particularly given its pivotal role in various regional and international affairs.

The UNHCR chief stressed the agency's commitment to strengthening its long-standing cooperation with the Egyptian government in providing protection for refugees and supporting host communities.

El-Sisi congratulated Salih on assuming his new position earlier this year and reaffirmed Egypt's appreciation for its cooperation with the UN refugee agency in providing international protection to refugees and asylum seekers residing in Egypt and managing asylum procedures in accordance with the national law governing the issue.

The president stressed Egypt's readiness to continue that cooperation in a way that strengthens international solidarity and supports refugees.