NewsBrief|
Egypt rejects U.S. Suez request amid EU migration row and legal reform backlash
President El-Sisi turns down a request from former U.S. President Donald Trump for toll-free U.S. access to the Suez Canal and Egyptian involvement in military action against the Houthis, pushing instead for a Gaza ceasefire as the real path to calming tensions in the Red Sea. The rejection comes as Egypt faces growing Western pressure, including from the EU, which is now proposing to label Egypt a “safe country of origin” for asylum seekers—a move slammed by rights groups as dangerous and misleading. At home, El-Sisi is also being urged to stop a new criminal law overhaul that critics say threatens basic rights and bypasses constitutional safeguards.
El-Sisi rejects Trump requests on Houthis, Suez Canal passage: WSJ
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi rejected a proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump seeking free passage for American military and commercial vessels through the Suez Canal and Egyptian participation in military action against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump made the requests during a phone call earlier this month and followed up publicly on Truth Social, arguing that the U.S. deserves toll-free access to both the Suez and Panama canals.
El-Sisi reportedly declined, suggesting a ceasefire in Gaza would be a more effective path to curbing Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping. The U.S. has been carrying out airstrikes in Yemen since March in response to Houthi assaults on vessels linked to Israel in retaliation for the occupation blocking aid from Gaza.
U.S. officials defended Trump’s demand, saying Egypt benefits from secure shipping and should share the military burden. However, the request comes as Egypt faces economic hardship and ongoing U.S. pressure to accept displaced Palestinians—an idea Cairo has firmly rejected.
Roughly 10 percent of global trade flows through the Suez Canal, a major source of foreign currency for Egypt, which earned $9.4 billion in 2023. That revenue is under threat amid ongoing disruptions in the Red Sea.
Rights groups warn against EU plan to label Egypt ‘safe origin’
Sixteen human rights organizations have criticzed the European Commission’s proposal to designate Egypt as a “safe country of origin,” warning that the move could undermine the rights of Egyptian asylum seekers and violate the EU’s obligations under international law.
In a joint statement, the groups said the proposal—issued on April 16—would fast-track asylum procedures for Egyptians, increasing the risk of rejecting applications without fair, individualized assessments.
While the Commission acknowledged human rights issues in Egypt, it concluded that these did not meet the legal threshold for persecution or serious harm. The signatories rejected that conclusion as inconsistent with rulings by European and international courts and with findings from UN experts and independent civil society.
The groups cited ongoing violations in Egypt, including arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and restrictions on free speech and peaceful assembly. They also raised concerns about Egypt’s asylum law, which criminalizes irregular entry and lacks protections against forced return.
Labeling Egypt “safe,” they warned, would expose asylum seekers to harm and violate the EU’s principle of non-refoulement.
The groups urged the European Council and Parliament to reject the proposal and called for transparent reassessment mechanisms, grounded in credible human rights reporting and stronger oversight.
Rights group urges El-Sisi to block criminal law overhaul as unconstitutional
The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession has urged President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi not to ratify Egypt’s newly passed criminal procedure law, citing serious constitutional and legal concerns. The bill, which was approved by the House of Representatives on Monday after amending 17 articles, has been sharply criticized by legal rights advocates for weakening protections around due process.
In a statement, the center called the law a “legislative catastrophe” and warned that its implementation could violate international legal standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The group condemned the bill for failing to safeguard basic rights during arrest, investigation, and trial, and said it undermines protections against unlawful search, seizure, and surveillance.
Critics have also raised alarms about provisions for remote trials, electronic surveillance bracelets as substitutes for pretrial detention, and fines imposed on secondary appeals. Egypt’s Journalists Syndicate and human rights lawyers previously submitted objections to these and other measures, but their recommendations were ignored in the final draft.
The law also includes controversial clauses such as allowing criminal cases to be filed against public servants by private individuals. Opponents argue the overall effect is to erode fair trial guarantees and diminish judicial oversight. The center called on the president to postpone the law’s publication in the official gazette and reintroduce the bill for broader public debate.
More in the news today April 30, 2025
Beyond our main stories, today's news also includes a critical look at the social and environmental injustices impacting Egypt's women farmworkers, alongside developments in the nation's energy sector with a new oil well set to come online.
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum plans to begin producing crude oil from a new well in the Gulf of Suez next month, while gold demand fell by 16 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to a report published Tuesday by the World Gold Council.
Meanwhile, in a one-session trial, a criminal court in Damanhour sentenced a private school accountant to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a kindergarten student using force and threats.