Rights group sounds alarm over 3,000 Eritrean refugees detained in Egypt

UK-based rights group Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE) has denounced the detention and mistreatment of more than 3,000 Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt, warning that many face abuse, neglect and possible deportation.

In a statement, HRCE said it has documented reports of widespread arrests since January 10 with testimonies, photographs, and other evidence pointing to a range of abuses.

Detainees, the group says, have suffered beatings, burns from hot water and corrosive substances, sexual violence, denial of medical treatment and extortion. Some individuals have also reportedly been transferred to the Eritrean Embassy in Cairo to process travel documents, raising fears that deportations may already have occurred.

According to HRCE, some of the detainees were reportedly registered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), highlighting concerns about violations of international refugee protections.

“These developments raise serious concerns under international refugee law, including violations of the principle of non-refoulement and protections against arbitrary detention and torture,” the group said.

The group subsequently urged UNHCR, the Egyptian government and international human rights bodies to act immediately to prevent further abuses and ensure the safety of refugees.

HRCE’s appeal comes amid broader concerns about the treatment of refugees in Egypt, many of whom have fled forced military conscription, political repression and human rights violations at home.

Amnesty International has similarly reported that Egyptian authorities have recently intensified efforts to detain and deport refugees and asylum seekers, often targeting them solely for lacking valid residency documents.

Even refugees registered with UNHCR have reportedly been caught up in these operations, according to the rights group, with plainclothes officers detaining foreign nationals from streets or workplaces and transporting them in unmarked vehicles.

Since late 2025, these operations have increasingly targeted people from Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, and other sub-Saharan countries, raising serious concerns about violations of international protections and Egypt’s own asylum laws.

“Refugees who have fled war, persecution or humanitarian crises should not be forced to live in daily fear of being arbitrarily arrested and deported back to a place where they are at risk of grave human rights violations,” said Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya Researcher at Amnesty International, in a statement last week.

“By forcibly expelling refugees and asylum seekers, Egyptian authorities are not only flagrantly flouting international human rights and refugee law, but they are also breaching the protections afforded in the country’s own recently passed asylum law prohibiting refoulement of recognised refugees.”

While the Egyptian government does not release official deportation figures, more than one million refugees and asylum seekers were registered with UNHCR in Egypt as of January 2026.

By Bashir Mbuthia   eastleighvoice.co.ke/africa/