Egypt: New Entry Rules for Syrians

The Syrian Embassy in Cairo announced easing measures for community members wishing to leave Egypt (Syria Al-Ghad Relief Foundation)
The Syrian Embassy in Cairo announced easing measures for community members wishing to leave Egypt (Syria Al-Ghad Relief Foundation)
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Egypt: New Entry Rules for Syrians

The Syrian Embassy in Cairo announced easing measures for community members wishing to leave Egypt (Syria Al-Ghad Relief Foundation)
The Syrian Embassy in Cairo announced easing measures for community members wishing to leave Egypt (Syria Al-Ghad Relief Foundation)

Egypt has tightened its entry rules for Syrians, while the Syrian Embassy in Cairo announced on Thursday measures to help Syrians wishing to leave Egypt and return home.

The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority recently directed airlines to stop accepting Syrian passengers from abroad unless they hold a temporary non-tourist residence permit in Egypt. Airlines that fail to comply face fines.

This follows an earlier decision in December barring Syrians with European, Gulf, US, or Canadian residencies, as well as Schengen visa holders, from entering Egypt without prior security clearance, according to the Syrian Community Association in Egypt.

Molhem Al-Khan, Board Director of the Syria Al-Ghad Relief Foundation, said the restrictions are driven by security concerns, as Egypt seeks to prevent individuals who may threaten national security from entering.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that a lack of security coordination with Syria’s current administration has prompted Egypt to take extra precautions.

Former Egyptian Assistant Interior Minister Farouk Al-Moqrahy said the measures aim to protect Egypt from people linked to banned groups like the Muslim Brotherhood or other extremist organizations.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Moqrahy said the new rules reflect Egypt’s broader efforts to address security risks amid ongoing instability in the region.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Embassy in Cairo announced free travel permits for Syrians in Egypt who wish to return home but lack valid passports.

In a statement on Thursday, the Embassy said permits are issued the same day without appointments. Applicants need to provide an ID and a photo.

The initiative aims to help Syrians unable to renew their passports and support those eager to return to Syria.

Around 1.5 million Syrians live in Egypt, according to the International Organization for Migration, with 153,000 registered as refugees by the UNHCR.

Following the leadership change in Syria after Bashar al-Assad’s fall, some Syrians in Egypt are preparing to return home. Many have recently visited the Syrian Embassy in Cairo to renew passports or obtain travel permits.

The Embassy now offers free travel permits to make it easier for those wishing to return. Al-Khan said this step is part of efforts by Syria’s interim government to support refugees returning home.



US Urges South Sudan President to Release VP Machar, Who is Reportedly under House Arrest

South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar addresses a news conference, as the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country, in Juba, South Sudan April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Samir Bol/File Photo
South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar addresses a news conference, as the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country, in Juba, South Sudan April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Samir Bol/File Photo
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US Urges South Sudan President to Release VP Machar, Who is Reportedly under House Arrest

South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar addresses a news conference, as the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country, in Juba, South Sudan April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Samir Bol/File Photo
South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar addresses a news conference, as the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country, in Juba, South Sudan April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Samir Bol/File Photo

The United States on Thursday called on South Sudan President Salva Kiir to release his rival First Vice President Riek Machar who was reportedly under house arrest, saying it was time the country's leaders demonstrated their commitment to peace.

Machar's SPLM-IO party said on Wednesday that the defense minister and chief of national security "forcefully entered" Machar's residence and delivered an arrest warrant.

Machar was being held at his house with his wife and two body guards, accused of being implicated in fighting between the military and White Army in Nasir, Upper Nile State this month, Reath Muoch Tang, a senior SPLM-IO official said in a statement seen by Reuters on Thursday.

"We are concerned by reports South Sudan's First Vice President Machar is under house arrest," Washington's Bureau of African Affairs wrote on X.

"We urge President Kiir to reverse this action & prevent further escalation of the situation."

Under a peace deal which ended a 2013-2018 civil war between forces loyal to Machar on one side and Kiir on the other, South Sudan has five vice-presidents. Kiir's longtime rival and opposition leader Machar is currently serving as first vice-president.

The United Nations has warned that recent clashes in Nasir between the army and the White Army, a militia with historical ties to Machar, and a rise in hate-speech could reignite along ethnic lines the civil war which ended in 2018.

Machar's SPLM-IO party denies ongoing links with the White Army.

"It is time for South Sudan's leaders to demonstrate sincerity of stated commitments to peace," Washington's Bureau of African Affairs wrote on X.

South Sudan's army and government spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

CALL FOR RESTRAINT

Political analysts say that the peace deal, under which Kiir and Machar have been serving in a fragile coalition government, is on the brink of collapse.

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) called for restraint, saying that the country's leaders stood on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict.

"This will not only devastate South Sudan but also affect the entire region," UNMISS said in a statement.

Earlier this month Kiir's government detained several officials from Machar's party, including the petroleum minister and the deputy head of the army, in response to the clashes with the White Army in Upper Nile State.

On Wednesday the UN reported fighting between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar close to the capital Juba.

The 2013-2018 civil war, which was fought largely along ethnic lines, resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths in the world's youngest nation.