OIM - The Integration of Migrants in Egypt de 2025

The Integra+on of Migrants in Egypt

Lessons from Research, Stakeholders and Interna5onal ExperiencesThe opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the publication do not imply expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries.

IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

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Required citation: International Organization for Migration (2025). The Integration of Migrants in Egypt: Lessons from Research,

Stakeholders and International Experiences. IOM, Cairo.

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PUB2024/090/RThe Integra+on of Migrants in Egypt

Lessons from Research, Stakeholders and Interna5onal Experiencesiii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This publication was developed by a team of researchers under the auspices of the Migration Research Unit (MRU), Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University, with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). We would like to express our gratitude to the Faculty of Economics and Political Science for encouraging the team under the leadership of Prof. Adla Ragab, Professor of Economics, FEPS, in steering the discussions on projects related to migration and climate change. We extend our appreciation to Mr Carlos Oliver Cruz, IOM Egypt Chief of Mission, and Mr Mohamed Hashem, the National Programme Support Officer at IOM Egypt, for their valuable insights and support in approving and contributing to this research. Special thanks to the research team for their contributions: • Prof. Adla Ragab, Professor of Economics, FEPS, Cairo University – Team Leader • Prof. Ola El-Khawaga, Professor of Economics, FEPS, Cairo University – General Supervisor • Prof. Amany Massoud, Professor of Political Science, FEPS, Cairo University • Prof. Howaida Adly, Professor of Political Science, The National Centre for Social and Criminological Research

Supervisor • Prof. Amany Massoud, Professor of Political Science, FEPS, Cairo University • Prof. Howaida Adly, Professor of Political Science, The National Centre for Social and Criminological Research • Prof. Heidy Aly, Associate Professor of Economics, FEPS, Cairo University • Mr Ahmed Hamdon, Assistant Lecturer of Political Science, FEPS, Cairo University • Ms Mona Al-Sayed, Assistant Lecturer of Economics, FEPS, Cairo University • Ms Manar El-Sehmawy, Assistant Researcher, MRU, FEPS, Cairo University • Prof. Heba Nassar, Professor of Economics, FEPS, Cairo University – Project Reviewer • Ayman Zohry, PhD, Population and Migration Expert – Project Reviewer • Eng. Hanan Elgenidy, Assistant Coordinator of MRU, FEPS, Cairo University • Mr Abdul Rahman Saleh, Administrator, CEFRS, FEPS, Cairo University Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the valuable academic contributions and insights provided by Prof. Peter Scholten, Professor of Governance of Migration and Diversity at Erasmus University Rotterdam whose guidance and research on migration and climate change has greatly influenced this study. Lastly, we appreciate the dedication of all the participants involved in the interview and the focus group discussions (migrants in Egypt, NGO’s, governmental bodies and international organizations) who helped the team to understand better the migrants conditions, the challenges they are facing, the essential services provided to improve the quality of assistance and to reach the most vulnerable groups.iv CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................................ vi LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................................................. vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................ vii

I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1

II. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY OF MIGRANT INTEGRATION ................... 2

A. Programmes or policy frameworks for migrant integration ................................................. 3

B. The difference between migration and asylum .......................................................................... 4

C. Indicators for measuring migrant integration ............................................................................. 4

II. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY OF MIGRANT INTEGRATION ................... 2

A. Programmes or policy frameworks for migrant integration ................................................. 3

B. The difference between migration and asylum .......................................................................... 4

C. Indicators for measuring migrant integration ............................................................................. 4

III. PRINCIPAL THEORIES ABOUT MIGRANTS’ INTEGRATION INTO HOST SOCIETIES ..... 6

A. The assimilation theory ........................................................................................................................ 6

B. The social networks and social capital theory ............................................................................ 6

C. The new assimilation theory ............................................................................................................... 7

D. The integration/mutual accommodation theory ....................................................................... 7

E. The multiculturalism theory ............................................................................................................... 7

F. The policy framework theory .............................................................................................................. 7

G. Integration of migrants in the Global South: The need for different theoretical frameworks ...................................................................................................................................................... 8

IV. MIGRANT INTEGRATION IN THE ARAB WORLD: CASES OF MOROCCO AND JORDAN 9

A. The Moroccan experience ................................................................................................................. 10 a.

Social assistance and protection ............................................................................................ 12 b. Education ......................................................................................................................................... 13 c. Health ................................................................................................................................................. 13 d. The labour market ........................................................................................................................ 14

B. The Jordanian experience .................................................................................................................. 14 a.

Social assistance and protection ............................................................................................ 16 b. Education ......................................................................................................................................... 16 c. Health ................................................................................................................................................. 16 d. The labour market ........................................................................................................................ 16 e. The Jordan Compact .................................................................................................................... 17 f. Challenges and lessons learned from the Jordan Compact experience ................. 18

V. EGYPTIAN APPROACHES TO MIGRANT INTEGRATION ........................................................... 19

1. Social assistance and protection ................................................................................................. 20 2. Education .............................................................................................................................................. 22 3. Health ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 4. The labour market ............................................................................................................................ 27

1. Social assistance and protection ................................................................................................. 20 2. Education .............................................................................................................................................. 22 3. Health ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 4. The labour market ............................................................................................................................ 27

VI. STAKEHOLDERS' PERSPECTIVES ON MIGRANT INTEGRATION IN EGYPT ................... 29

1. The Egyptian government's orientations and roles ............................................................... 30

2. Roles of international organizations ............................................................................................. 31v

3. Perspectives and roles of civil society organizations ............................................................. 34 a.

Services provided by the civil associations under study to migrants and refugees and the geographic scope of services ......................................................................... 35 b. Availability of a database for migrants and refugees receiving services .............. 37 c. Partnering, funding and supporting entities .................................................................... 37 d. Methods for targeting migrants and refugees .................................................................. 37 e. Major issues faced by migrants and refugees from the perspective of the analyzed civil associations ................................................................................................................. 38 f. Key challenges faced by civil associations ......................................................................... 38 g. Partnerships established by civil associations with various entities ..................... 38 h. Views of civil associations on enhancing the integration of migrants and refugees into Egyptian society ......................................................................................................... 38 i. Civil associations’ perspectives on government policies ............................................. 39

4. Survey on the integration of migrants in Egypt ....................................................................... 39

CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................... 41 APPENDIX .......................................................................................................................................................... 43 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................... 49vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Challenges to migrants integration in Egypt ....................................................................... 28 Table 2. Integration policies in Morocco, Jordan and Egypt ........................................................... 29 Table 3. Beneficiaries of Future Women Association services ...................................................... 36 LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES Table A 1. Responses to “Did the family move to Egypt with you?” ........................................... 43 Table A 2. Responses to “Is your current status in Egypt legal or not?” .................................... 43

LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES Table A 1. Responses to “Did the family move to Egypt with you?” ........................................... 43 Table A 2. Responses to “Is your current status in Egypt legal or not?” .................................... 43 Table A 3. Responses to “Are you allowed treatment in public hospitals?” ............................... 44 Table A 4. Cross-tabulation of family relocation to Egypt by highest educational certificate obtained ...................................................................................................................................................... 44 Table A 5. Cross-tabulation of family relocation to Egypt by marital status .............................. 44 Table A 6. Cross-tabulation of settlement intent in Egypt by marital status ............................. 45 Table A 7. Relationship between education level and employment among migrants ............... 45 Table A 8. Reasons for not working by gender ................................................................................. 45 Table A 9. Access to public hospital treatment by highest educational certificate obtained . 45 Table A 10. Access to public hospital treatment by marital status .............................................. 46 Table A 11. Gender differences in reported quality of health-care access among those allowed public treatment ............................................................................................... 46 Table A 12. Family relocation to Egypt by age group of respondents ......................................... 46 Table A 13. Employment status by age group of respondents ...................................................... 46 Table A 14. Reported access to public hospital treatment by age group of respondents ...... 47 Table A 15. Integration index: scoring framework across six key domains ................................ 47 Table A 16. Comparison of integration index scores by gender ................................................... 48 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Services provided by Future Women Association ........................................................... 35vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CAPMAS Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics ILO International Labour Organization IOM International Organization for Migration MIPEX Migrant Integration Policy Index OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF

MIPEX Migrant Integration Policy Index OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees1

I. INTRODUCTION All too often a person’s home (or identity) is not directly linked to their place of birth.

Humans are often faced with choices due to either social or environmental unrest. People move because of political strife, war, uprisings, societal oppression, racial and/or religions discrimination, droughts, desertification, earthquakes and other natural disasters. The Exodus of humanity is gathering pace across the globe, particularly within the Arab region. Researchers and scholars vie with one another in studying the plight of migrants and refugees. Social sciences focus their attention on studying the dynamics and interactions of the lives of migrants within their new host societies, predominantly in the Global North or in the countries of the Global South, which become the last resort should the migrant's hopes of the host country in the south being a mere transit point on their journey to the north fall through. This study seeks to uncover the determinants of the lives of migrants from developing countries to similar countries. It aims to answer a number of key questions, including: • To what extent can the societies of developing countries, with their fragile social structures and ailing economies — such as Egyptian society — absorb such large numbers of migrants and refugees? • What is the capacity of migrants themselves to integrate into the new society, both culturally and economically, across various sectors? • What are the general outlines of the Egyptian government's policies towards those arriving in Egypt as migrants and refugees? • Are there so-called "temporary crisis policies", or do host countries, including Egypt, capitalize on crisis policy decisions to make them part of their long-term public policies on integrating newcomers? • And is there a specific vision for Egypt's cooperation with international and local organizations on the issue of migrants?

• Are there so-called "temporary crisis policies", or do host countries, including Egypt, capitalize on crisis policy decisions to make them part of their long-term public policies on integrating newcomers? • And is there a specific vision for Egypt's cooperation with international and local organizations on the issue of migrants?

This study, a collaborative endeavour by a distinguished cadre of researchers, brings together the esteemed Cairo University, specifically the Faculty of Economics and Political Science and its promising Migration Research Unit, in a fruitful partnership with the active Cairo Office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The research centres on the migrant community, which has exceeded nine million individuals residing in Egypt as guests and newcomers. The study aims to analyse the extent of migrant integration into Egyptian society through a historical/inductive approach, examining key indicators such as proficiency in the dominant language of the host society, access to the labour market, family reunification, political participation and naturalization to acquire civil rights within the host country — criteria widely recognized in the scholarly literature. Accordingly, the study is grounded in a comprehensive methodology combining a review of the theoretical literature on migrant integration issues with an examination of successful case studies in the Middle East and North Africa region, with a particular emphasis on models most relevant to the Egyptian context. Methodologically, the analysis is supported by in-depth interviews to analyse the perspectives of civil society organizations and stakeholders, elucidating their perceptions and opinions regarding Egypt's migrant integration policies. Furthermore, the study meticulously observes and analyses the policies, decisions, and procedures implemented by the Government of Egypt concerning migration and asylum.2 In light of the foregoing, the study is divided into five fundamental sections. The first section focuses on defining concepts, differentiating between the notions of migrant and refugee, integration and assimilation, and identifying indicators of migrant integration within host societies, in addition to presenting general frameworks for integration policies. Secondly, the study will delve into the various theories of migrant integration into host societies, with a particular focus on the policy framework approach. It will explore whether a single model can be applied across diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts.

societies, in addition to presenting general frameworks for integration policies. Secondly, the study will delve into the various theories of migrant integration into host societies, with a particular focus on the policy framework approach. It will explore whether a single model can be applied across diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts. The third part of the study will examine the experiences of Arab countries in integrating migrants and refugees, using Jordan and Morocco as key case studies to explore their experiences in health, education, social assistance and protection policies, and the labour market. In the fourth part, the focus shifts to the specific case of Egypt, examining the extent to which migrants enjoy their basic rights to social protection, education, health, and employment. It will also explore the relationship between the State and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the primary challenges affecting Egypt's efforts to absorb migrants and refugees. The fifth part of the study will examine the visions and roles of civil society organizations in Egypt in completing the cycle of policymaking and evaluation of migration policies. Recognizing the need to distinguish between general state and crisis management policies, the study is committed to academic transparency, information sharing, and research ethics. It aims to direct the attention of researchers, policymakers, and development partners, including civil society organizations and international organizations, towards the understanding that a rigorous study of the situation of migrants and refugees in Egypt is the only way to preserve Egypt's soft power and harmonious relations with the citizens of countries experiencing conflict. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need to incorporate certain crisis management policy decisions into the State's long-term public policies for a more rational approach to calculating the gains and losses for the State in managing migrant integration in Egypt. II.

CONCEPTUAL

FRAMEWORK

FOR THE STUDY OF MIGRANT INTEGRATION When examining the theoretical contributions of the social and human sciences regarding migrant integration process into host societies, it is essential to first clarify the meanings and connotations of several key concepts related to the study's subject matter. These include

THE STUDY OF MIGRANT INTEGRATION When examining the theoretical contributions of the social and human sciences regarding migrant integration process into host societies, it is essential to first clarify the meanings and connotations of several key concepts related to the study's subject matter. These include integration, the programmes or policy frameworks associated with migrant integration, the distinction between migration and asylum, and integration indicators. IOM emphasizes the multifaceted nature of the concept of integration, which is understood differently depending on the country and context. Migrant integration is generally identified as a two-way process of mutual adaptation between the host society and migrants, whether individuals or groups (Penninx and Garcés-Mascareñas, 2016; Sironi et al., 2019). IOM (2012) further defines successful integration as a dynamic, two-way process involving mutual adaptation between migrants and the host society, based on the principles of protecting fundamental rights, non-discrimination, and achieving long-term (legal) settlement in host societies, which enables them to contribute effectively to the development of both their host countries and their countries of origin. Therefore, this adaptation becomes essential for all participating parties and is not merely a luxury for the host country, even if it is a developing country. Rather, it is a fundamental requirement for achieving an effective and comprehensive approach to managing migration in various contexts, as well as the resulting benefits,3 such as strengthening security, achieving economic stability, and social harmony in the host country. IOM views multicultural integration policies as “A model of integration policies that welcomes the preservation, expression and sometimes even the celebration of cultural diversity. This approach encourages migrants to become full members of society while retaining their cultural identities. It combines the recognition of varied backgrounds, traditions and ways of seeing the world with certain universalist values, such as the rule of law or gender equality, that override cultural differences and guarantee the same rights for all. The integration relationship is then best captured in the image of a mosaic enabling minority ethnic groupings

cultural identities. It combines the recognition of varied backgrounds, traditions and ways of seeing the world with certain universalist values, such as the rule of law or gender equality, that override cultural differences and guarantee the same rights for all. The integration relationship is then best captured in the image of a mosaic enabling minority ethnic groupings to live side by side with the majority constituency.” (Bauloz et al., 2020, p. 342; Sironi et al., 2019, p. 142).

A. Programmes or policy frameworks for migrant integration Since integration does not occur spontaneously, it is linked to a set of specifically designed policies aimed at facilitating the integration of migrants into host societies. These policies and frameworks consider the rights and obligations of both host societies and migrants, including education for children and adults, health and social services, and access to the labour market.

In this sense, the term integration implies the importance of commitment to and respect for a set of fundamental values between migrants and their host societies to maximize the benefits of migration for all stakeholders. IOM describes comprehensive integration approaches as those that "help ensure that migrants are able to participate fully in the economic, social, political, and cultural life of the host society." These programmes enable migrants to develop their knowledge, skills, experience, and capacities (i.e. their human capital) during their stay in the host country, thereby promoting economic growth in those countries and simultaneously building vital links between their country of origin and the host country. It is worth noting that integration programmes and related policies are more effective when designed to consider migrants' characteristics (gender, age, education, language and so on), the duration of their stay, and the overall economic and social conditions of the host country. There is no ideal integration programme; rather, each country must develop its own approach that is appropriate to its circumstances and the characteristics of the migrant community residing within it. In addition, these programmes should include specific strategies to raise awareness among host communities about migrants' positive contributions and the benefits of living and working in multicultural environments. This will reduce misunderstandings among host

that is appropriate to its circumstances and the characteristics of the migrant community residing within it. In addition, these programmes should include specific strategies to raise awareness among host communities about migrants' positive contributions and the benefits of living and working in multicultural environments. This will reduce misunderstandings among host communities about the presence of migrants, which may hinder the success of any integration programmes or policies. It is worth noting that implementing migrant integration programmes is not easy, as it intersects with a large and complex number of policies in any country, in the areas of education, health, labour markets, and equal opportunities, as well as domestic policies related to citizenship acquisition, national security, and human rights. Therefore, each host country must determine its migration acceptance policies, starting with the legal status of the migrant and the associated rights and obligations, as well as their ability to access various services. This, in turn, requires coherence and harmony between the policies pursued in countries in these areas, taking into account the proce