Egypt 1984-1986: 1. Information regarding the attitude of the Egyptian government towards Somali citizens. 2. Information regarding the possibility and procedure for a Somali citizen to obtain a permanent residence permit in Egypt

1. Somalia joined the Arab League in 1974 [Encyclopedia Britannica, vol.I., (London: Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 1988), p.505.] and in general "the principal aim of Saudi Arabia and Egypt is to keep Somalia stable, conservative, Islamic and pro-Western." [ David D. Laitin and Said S. Samatar, Somalia: Nation in Search of a State, (London: Westview Press, 1987), p.150.] To this end, Somalia has received grants and loans from Egypt and other countries. [Said S. Samatar, Socialist Somalia: Rhetoric and Reality, (London: Zed Books Ltd., 1988), p.63.] UNHCR states that there are about 5,000 permanent Somali residents in Egypt at the present time. Many Somali workers in the Gulf States tend to leave their wives and children in Cairo, to accommodate the latter's schooling.

According to UNHCR, 14 Hawiye students staged a sit-in at the Somali Embassy in Cairo on 13 October 1989. These students demanded embassy support to travel to Europe and better scholarships from the Somali government than those they were already receiving. Local police reportedly arrested the students at the request of Somali Embassy officials.

 BBC Monitoring Service report of 30 September 1989, mentions that Somali citizens have been forcibly sent back to Somalia from Egypt. In its report, Somalia: A Long-Term Human Rights Crisis, Amnesty International states that "there have been some instances of Somalis suspected of actively opposing the government being arrested on returning to Somalia. For example, the arrest, detention and torture of a unsuccessful asylum applicant who was forcibly returned to Somalia in 1987." [ Somalia: A Long-Term Human Rights Crisis, (London: Amnesty International Publications Ltd., September 1988), pp. 16.] The Amnesty International Report for 1989 also states that in June 1988, Saudi Arabia deported some Issaq clan members for illegal residence. At least eight of them were reportedly arrested upon arrival in Berbera and extrajudicially executed. [Amnesty International Report 1989, London: Amnesty International Publications Ltd., 1989, p.84.]

2. According to External Affairs, the Egyptian government processes each case separately when foreigners seek residence permits. One of the major requirements of the Ministry of Interior for a residence permit is the ability of the applicant to show proof of employment in Egypt. An occasion when permanent residence visas are issued is when the applicant is a foreign woman married to an Egyptian man.

According to the UNHCR office in Ottawa, there are no visa requirements for Somali citizens entering Egypt, as both countries are members of the Arab League. In February 1989 Egypt became a country of permanent asylum where refugee residence cards are issued. Under the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Refugee Convention, to which Egypt is a signatory, refugees are protected against forcible return to their country of origin. At the present time however, Somalis in Egypt are not granted Convention Refugee Status, the fear being that were Convention Status given, many more Somalis, both in Egypt and Somalia, would be encouraged to seek asylum.

During OAU meetings, Egypt has had reservations regarding employment opportunities for refugees. Despite this, Egypt has created self-help projects which are open to all refugees.

Attached please find a copy of the report from BBC Monitoring Service, Summary of World Broadcasts for 30 September 1989.