Egypt extends deadline for illegal migrants to apply on residence

CAIRO – 20 March 2024: The Cabinet approved Tuesday extending the deadline for illegal migrants to apply on residence in Egypt for another six months in order to allow more batches to finalize the necessary measures.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated in 2022 that the number of migrants in Egypt had hit 9,115,929 belonging to 133 countries. As such, they make up the equivalent of 8.7 percent of the Egyptian population.

The largest communities – composing 80 percent of migrants - are the Sudanese (four million); Syrians (1.5 million); Yemenis (one million); and, Libyans (one million). As for the duration of stay, 60 percent of migrants have been living in Egypt for more than 10 years, while six percent have been in the country for over 15 years.

Regarding their location, 56 percent of migrants live in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Damietta, and Daqahliyah.