عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Egypt Grants ‘Illegal’ Residents 3 Months to Legitimize their Stay

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. (Egyptian cabinet)
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. (Egyptian cabinet)
TT
20
TT

Egypt Grants ‘Illegal’ Residents 3 Months to Legitimize their Stay

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. (Egyptian cabinet)
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. (Egyptian cabinet)

Egypt has granted “illegal” residents a three-month period to legitimize their stay as per the “conditions and regulations” stated in a cabinet decision.

Among these conditions are the presence of an Egyptian host and the payment of $1,000 fees.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly issued a decision stating that foreigners residing in the country illegally must legalize their stay, provided that there is an Egyptian national host, within three months from the date of the decision, in exchange for payment of administrative fees equivalent to $1,000.

This should be in accordance with the rules, procedures, and controls determined by the Ministry of Interior.

The decision stated that foreigners applying to the General Administration of Passports, Immigration and Nationality to obtain the right of residence for tourism or non-tourism, must provide a receipt stating that they have transferred the equivalent of fees in dollars or the equivalent of free currency to the Egyptian pound from one of the banks or authorized exchange companies.

The fees could be for residence, delay penalty, or costs of issuing a residence card.

Egyptian human rights defender Nassem Amin said that this decision covers all foreigners except those registered with the UNHCR or those who obtained a residence permit from the Egyptian government.

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat that this decision wouldn’t impact the refugees and displaced, whether those currently in Egypt or the new arrivals.

Egypt has eased up the residence procedures on its land.

In May, the Interior Ministry decided to grant a five-year renewable residence to foreigners who have one or more real estate in Egypt worth a minimum of $200,000, a three-year renewable residence to those owning $100,000 real estate, as well as a three-year residence for foreigners who have a bank deposit worth $1,000.

Mohamed Mahran, Public International Law Lecturer at Alexandria University, told Asharq Al-Awsat that this decision aims to organize the presence of foreigners in Egypt while taking into consideration the migration and residence-related international laws that seek to facilitate the residence procedures.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Kurdish Fighters Leave Northern City in Syria as Part of Deal with Central Government

A first contingent of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters leave Aleppo, headed for SDF-controlled northeastern Syria, in Aleppo, Syria, 04 April 2025. (EPA)
A first contingent of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters leave Aleppo, headed for SDF-controlled northeastern Syria, in Aleppo, Syria, 04 April 2025. (EPA)
TT
20
TT

Kurdish Fighters Leave Northern City in Syria as Part of Deal with Central Government

A first contingent of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters leave Aleppo, headed for SDF-controlled northeastern Syria, in Aleppo, Syria, 04 April 2025. (EPA)
A first contingent of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters leave Aleppo, headed for SDF-controlled northeastern Syria, in Aleppo, Syria, 04 April 2025. (EPA)

Scores of US-backed Kurdish fighters left two neighborhoods in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo Friday as part of a deal with the central government in Damascus, which is expanding its authority in the country.

The fighters left the predominantly Kurdish northern neighborhoods of Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh, which had been under the control of Kurdish fighters in Aleppo over the past decade.

The deal is a boost to an agreement reached last month between Syria’s interim government and the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country’s northeast. The deal could eventually lead to the merger of the main US-backed force in Syria into the Syrian army.

The withdrawal of fighters from the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) came a day after dozens of prisoners from both sides were freed in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported that government forces were deployed along the road that SDF fighters will use to move between Aleppo and areas east of the Euphrates River, where the Kurdish-led force controls nearly a quarter of Syria.

Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh had been under SDF control since 2015 and remained so even when forces of ousted President Bashar al-Assad captured Aleppo in late 2016. The two neighborhoods remained under SDF control when forces loyal to current interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured the city in November, and days later captured the capital, Damascus, removing Assad from power.

After being marginalized for decades under the rule of the Assad family rule, the deal signed last month promises Syria’s Kurds “constitutional rights,” including using and teaching their language, which were banned for decades.

Hundreds of thousands of Kurds, who were displaced during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war, will return to their homes. Thousands of Kurds living in Syria who have been deprived of nationality for decades under Assad will be given the right of citizenship, according to the agreement.

Kurds made up 10% of the country’s prewar population of 23 million. Kurdish leaders say they don’t want full autonomy with their own government and parliament. They want decentralization and room to run their day-to day-affairs.