In a meeting with a delegation from the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Italian Senate, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi highlighted the importance of the role of the international community in regard to Arab and African refugees, saying that Egypt currently hosts around five million refugees from Arab and African countries.
Spokesman Alaa Youssef said the president told the delegation that refugees in Egypt are receiving the same health and educational services as Egyptians, despite the economic burden the Egyptian government carries.
According to the UNHCR website profile on Egypt, the country hosts 261,741 registered refugees, mostly from Sudan, Syria and Libya.
The number of unregistered refugees in Egypt is much higher than the official registered numbers.
Registered refugees in Egypt are assisted by the UNHCR financially and emotionally.
According to the UNHCR, the estimated budget needs to support refugees in Egypt in 2015 is $85.2 million.
Instability in the Middle East region since late 2010 has led to a huge increase in the number of refugees fleeing their countries and attempting to enter Egypt.
Although Egypt offers refugees access to public healthcare and education, it has no procedures for offering asylum.
Source: Ahram Online
