Policy Research Reports
The Legal and Policy Frameworks for an Inclusive Social Protection System in Egypt
No.
PRR 62
Publisher
ERF
Date
September, 2025
Topic
P5. Comparative Economic Systems
H5. National Government Expenditures and Related Policies
Summary
Background
Egypt is both a transit and destination country for refugees and asylum seekers. currently, Sudanese and Syrians are the two largest refugee groups in Egypt. This report focuses on the policy and legal frameworks governing access to social protection for refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt focusing on three key pillars of social protection: social transfers (non-contributory), social and health insurance (work-related contributory schemes), and access to the key social services of health and education. The report reviews the policies governing these pillars in view of the key conventions that were signed and ratified by Egypt, reflecting on de jure and de facto provisions. The report also provides a brief illustration of comparative international experiences in providing social protection for refugees and asylum seekers to provide recommendations for Egypt.
Methods
The research methodology adopted for the purpose of this study adopts a two-pronged approach; First, it relies on a thorough desk review of documents, including: A review of national legislations on social protection in Egypt and relevant secondary literature. Second, the study relies on a number of Interviews with representatives from key government and international organizations, including the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS); the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA); the Ministry of Labor (MoL); the National Organization for Social Insurance (NOSI); the World Health Organization (WHO); and the UNHCR.
Findings
From a de jure perspective, the country has made reservations to the 1951 Refugees Convention. These are reservations to articles 20 (rationing), 22 (elementary education, paragraph 1), 23 (public relief and social assistance), and 24 (social security). The impact of these reservations on national law is variable. In the case of public relief, assistance, and access to rationing, all foreigners are excluded from access, while access to public schools is reserved for certain Arab nationalities regardless of whether they are migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers. The reservation on access to social security is rendered superfluous by Egypt’s ratification of the ILO equality of treatment in Social Security Convention No. 118, as well as the subsequent ratification of Law No. 148/2019 on social security, which grants equal rights to social security for nationals and non-nationals.
In terms of de facto provisions, the cumbersome procedures to obtain residence permits, passport renewal, and the non-recognition of UNHCR cards as valid identification for some services pose serious challenges to refugees and asylum seekers in the country. Access to formal employment by refugees, a pre-condition to accessing contributory social protection, is thwarted by excessive restrictions on the employment of non-Egyptians in Egypt and the cap set on the number of foreigners working in any economic unit.
Recommendations
Regarding de jure provisions, an important prerequisite is for the Government of Egypt to retract its reservations on the articles of the Refugee Convention related to rationing, public relief, and assistance. With regard to defacto provisions, it is recommended that the cost of work permits be reduced significantly for refugees. Employment documentation is key to accessing such services.
This Policy Research Report is supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP). The views expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of supporting agencies.
Research Fellows
Ghada Barsoum
Associate Professor and Chair of the Department...
Authors
Alaa Al-Barrawi
Cairo University