UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has suspended registration services at its Alexandria office due to a severe funding crisis, Christine Beshay, the UNHCR’s spokesperson in Egypt, told Al Manassa.
Beshay clarified that while the Alexandria office will no longer handle refugee registrations, it will remain open. “We are halting only the registration services,” Beshay said.
Services in Alexandria have been transferred to the UNHCR’s main office in Cairo’s 6 October City, Beshay explained, as the agency faces an acute funding shortfall following the suspension of contributions from the US, historically its largest humanitarian donor. Beshay added that a quarter of UNHCR’s top donors have also announced reductions in overseas aid.
On April 17, the UNHCR announced that starting 1 May 2025, its Zamalek Reception Center would permanently close.
“All registration services and protection services for Syrian refugees would move to the 6 October Reception Center from that date.” the statement read.
“The cuts have effectively paralyzed our ability to meet basic needs for refugees in 2025,” Beshay said, noting that the agency now needs $137.7 million to sustain essential programs. She added that by April 30, only 28% of that sum had been secured, leaving a significant funding gap that threatens the continuity of core services.
On May 13, the UNHCR in Egypt announced it would reduce the number of families receiving monthly cash assistance starting in June, maintaining support only for the most vulnerable cases due to the agency’s financial challenges.
In April 2024, Egypt received a 7.4 billion euro ($8 billion) financing package from the EU. Of that, 1 billion euro is earmarked for immediate macroeconomic support. Migration was highlighted as a key pillar of the agreement.
Egypt hosts more than 9 million foreign nationals, including refugees and migrants, according to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. However, only around 800,000 are registered with the UNHCR, the majority of which are Sudanese.
In a 2024 report, Amnesty International documented Egypt’s violation of the Refugee Convention by deporting 800 Sudanese nationals between January and March, who were all denied the possibility to claim asylum, including by accessing UNHCR, or to challenge deportation decisions.
