Egypt rejects the ‘uprooting of peoples’ from their lands

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty yesterday confirmed that Cairo rejects any attempt to displace and “uproot peoples from their lands,” noting that the north African state is hosting more than ten million refugees and irregular migrants.

“Egyptian state institutions have spared no effort to ensure that foreign nations residing on its territory enjoy their due rights and have shouldered a significant responsibility on behalf of the international community for many years by hosting a large number of refugees and irregular migrants over the years,” Abdelatty said.

He explained that his country “hosts 10.7 million foreign nationals [refugees and irregular migrants] from 62 nationalities.”

“Egypt ensures that refugees and migrants have access to basic services, integrate into Egyptian society, and are not confined to camps or refugee centres,” he noted.

“I say this frankly: Our capacity to accommodate and continue our efforts is at risk, especially given the insufficient international support relative to the pressures we are facing.”

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In this context, he stressed Egypt’s long-standing stance against any efforts to forcibly relocate or encourage the displacement of populations, whether temporarily or permanently. He said such actions “threaten stability and undermine the chances for peace and coexistence between peoples.”

Abdelatty did not specify which populations he was referring to, but his comments come after US President Donald Trump proposed the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan. Trump cited the lack of habitable spaces in Gaza due to Israel’s war on the enclave since 7 October 2023.

Egypt and Jordan have already rejected the idea of displacing Palestinians from their land, whether temporarily or in the long-term.

On Sunday, Egypt confirmed, in a statement by the Foreign Ministry, its rejection of the “violation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, whether through settlement or annexation of land, or by evacuating that land of its owners through displacement or encouraging the transfer or uprooting of Palestinians from their land, whether temporarily or long-term.”

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stressed in a press conference on Sunday that “Jordan’s position against the displacement of Palestinians remains irreversible and unchanged”, emphasising the need to achieve regional stability and peace.

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