The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) has filed an urgent lawsuit with the Administrative Court to halt the deportation of a Palestinian refugee who has lived in Egypt for nearly six decades.
The refugee, identified as Hashem A.H., was born in Gaza in 1964 and relocated with his family to Egypt in 1965, when he was just one year old. He has lived in Egypt continuously since then, where he completed his education, married, and became the sole provider for his wife and three daughters, all of whom reside permanently in Egypt, according to an ECESR statement released on Sunday.
Hashem does not hold any official nationality or travel documents. His legal status in Egypt had long been tolerated despite his statelessness, a condition not uncommon among Palestinians born before modern passport regimes.
After serving a five-year prison sentence in a forgery case, Hashem was transferred to an administrative detention facility. There, he was informed by authorities that he would be deported to Malaysia — despite having no connection to the country, no entry visa, and no guarantees of legal admission upon arrival.
ECESR contends that the deportation decision violates Egypt’s new Refugee Law No. 164 of 2024, which came into force earlier this year. The law requires that any move to revoke refugee status follows a clear legal process, including formal notice and an opportunity to respond.
“In Hashem’s case, none of these procedures were followed,” the center said. “The interior ministry did not present his case to the competent authorities outlined in the law, nor did it issue a reasoned legal decision.”
The organization also cited Egypt’s Law on the Residence of Foreigners, which requires any deportation to be based on a written justification and presented to a specialized committee before enforcement.
“He was denied his right to due process and to challenge the decision,” the legal filing states. “There was no opportunity to review the evidence against him, nor to make a case for his continued residence in Egypt.”
ECESR further warned that deporting Hashem to a country that has not accepted him would amount to arbitrary expulsion and potential refoulement, in violation of international conventions to which Egypt is a party.
The center emphasized that Hashem cannot be sent back to Gaza, given the complex political and security situation, as well as his lack of identity documents or registered residency there.
“This decision is a flagrant breach of Egypt’s obligations under the Constitution and the 1951 Refugee Convention,” ECESR said.
If executed, the deportation would forcibly separate Hashem from his wife and daughters, none of whom have citizenship in another country. “His family knows no other home but Egypt,” ECESR said. “The decision is procedurally and substantively flawed, and its execution would cause irreversible harm.”
The group is calling for Hashem’s immediate release from detention, the suspension of any deportation procedures, and the official recognition of his legal right to remain in Egypt.
