Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty reviewed with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, burdens borne by the Egyptian state in hosting nearly 10 million foreigners, including refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, who receive basic services on par with Egyptian citizens. He pointed out to the economic pressures on the country.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the Minister's participation in the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development. Minister Abdelatty expressed his appreciation for the ongoing cooperation with the UNHCR and for the efforts made by its Cairo office to provide support to asylum seekers residing in Egypt.

The two sides discussed the importance of launching a refugee response plan in Egypt to ensure the sustainability of services provided to refugees in a way that strengthens the resilience of host communities and contributes to enhancing social cohesion.

The Minister also stressed the importance of involving the UNHCR and civil society organizations in the drafting process of the executive regulations for the law on foreign asylum.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had hosted two broad meetings that included the UNHCR and several civil society organizations working in refugee support.