Cross-Border Suppression: Egyptian Consulates Impose New Restrictions

The Egyptian consulates abroad are imposing new security measures, restricting the issuance of official documents for expatriates and subjecting them to political background checks
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A recent decision issued by the Egyptian consulate in Marseille, France, requiring security clearance for Egyptians residing abroad before issuing any official documents, has sparked controversy in human rights circles. The decision has been viewed as a restriction on freedoms and a violation of public rights. Legal and human rights experts argue that it deepens additional measures to target Egyptians abroad and imposes security surveillance on them, contradicting the diplomatic role of embassies. It is seen as a move aimed primarily at restricting opposition voices overseas.

Egyptians residing in France shared the text of the consulate’s decision, describing it as “appalling.” Egyptian journalist Sayed Sobhy expressed his disapproval in a Facebook post: “The Egyptian consulate in Marseille issued a strange and unacceptable announcement, stating that to obtain a national ID card, one must first undergo a ‘political screening committee’ that investigates your name, beliefs, and your family’s entire political history. Is it reasonable for obtaining a national ID card to require a political evaluation? Does this mean applying for an ID card is seen as a national security breach? Why should my national identity be subject to political evaluation?”

Sobhy added: “This seems to go beyond merely obtaining a national ID card; it feels like a test of political loyalty. If you’re an opponent, your ID is denied, but if you’re a supporter, you may receive it after the committee’s approval. But what about someone who needs the ID to complete a visa application or secure a job? Should they live without a national identity or without an opinion?”

In light of this decision, Zawia3 reached out to several Egyptians residing abroad, in France and other countries like Turkey, Qatar, Germany, and Canada. They voiced frustration over similar policies applied without official announcements for years, allegedly used as tools to suppress dissent and target human rights activists abroad. Many confirmed that embassies conduct periodic security reviews to monitor and restrict Egyptians living overseas.

No Identity, No Rights

Egyptians abroad face growing challenges due to strict security measures imposed by Egyptian embassies and consulates. In Turkey, Mohamed Ramadan reports that hundreds of his peers lack official documents because of the Egyptian embassy’s stringent security requirements. While some have been informed they are wanted for questioning in Egypt, the majority face no legal charges but are associated with opposition groups abroad. As a result, the authorities have denied them essential documents for years, leaving them without legal residency, job opportunities, or the ability to travel.

Ramadan highlights the dire situation faced by these individuals, particularly their inability to register their children officially at Egyptian consulates. For over a decade, this has led to deliberate deprivation of basic rights for potentially hundreds of children, including nationality, healthcare, vaccinations, and education, as guaranteed by the Egyptian constitution. These children are effectively punished for their parents’ or guardians’ affiliations with opposition groups abroad.

In France, Ahmed Saeed notes that while younger embassy staff attempt to streamline document processing, they face institutional obstacles, including mandatory security reviews for renewing or issuing official papers. Additionally, exorbitant fees are imposed on Egyptians abroad, far exceeding those charged by other embassies. For example, a national ID card costs €65, while a passport renewal costs €440—significantly more than the maximum €150 charged for a French passport.

Saeed recounts how the process for resolving military service obligations has also become increasingly burdensome. Previously, young Egyptians could resolve their military status through a committee in Paris. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, this option has been removed, requiring individuals to pay fines in France and travel to Egypt to finalize the process in military courts. In recent years, a new initiative targeting Egyptians under 30 increased fines from €5,000 to €7,000, with preferential treatment given to those paying the higher amount.

Saeed also points out that the issuance of national ID cards now includes explicit political screening. He questions whether national identification is now contingent on political alignment, expressing concern over the potential for discriminatory and punitive actions against political opponents living abroad.

In Canada, Layla Mahmoud, a doctor, shares her experience of attempting to issue a power of attorney at the Egyptian consulate. She encountered intrusive demands, including providing her bank account details in both Canada and Egypt and answering direct questions about political affiliations. Despite submitting the required documents, she faced months-long delays, leaving her hesitant to engage with the consulate again.

Mohamed Ali, a software engineer in Germany, describes similarly invasive and protracted procedures for renewing his passport, including demands for additional documentation not officially required. He experienced a three-month delay attributed to security checks, causing disruptions to his work and residency status.

In Qatar, Amr El-Sayed faced prolonged delays when requesting a family certificate due to a newly introduced “political stance” requirement. He observed discriminatory practices, where individuals perceived as non-political obtained their documents more quickly than those with opposition ties.

These accounts collectively expose a pattern of restrictive and discriminatory practices by Egyptian diplomatic missions, leaving citizens abroad vulnerable and marginalized.

Violating Laws and International Conventions

Human rights activist and migration researcher Nour Khalil describes such measures as violations of both the law and international conventions. Speaking to Zawia3, he explains, “The government must not link a person’s security status, the security agencies’ opinion of them, or even their involvement in crimes, to the issuance of their official documents such as birth or death certificates, national ID cards, or passports. The only requirement for issuing these documents should be payment of the associated fees.”

He adds, “This type of measure can be described as transnational repression. Beyond being a violation, it generates a cascade of other abuses. Chief among these is stripping citizens of their protection abroad by depriving them of documents that establish their identity and legal status. It also exposes individuals to exploitation and grants government employees undue power to deny or withhold essential documents. Furthermore, this has led some citizens to apply for asylum solely to obtain valid documents. When denied official documents, it also impacts children, depriving them of basic rights.”

From his perspective in France, Egyptian journalist Sayed Sobhi views the “political vetting” requirement for issuing official documents as a clear contradiction to fundamental human rights and international law.

He tells Zawia3, “According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 13) and relevant international treaties such as Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the right to obtain official documents is a basic human right. Thus, a requirement like ‘political vetting’ is a blatant violation of these rights and constitutes unjust discrimination. While criminal background checks may be justified in some limited cases, political vetting has no legitimate basis and is an egregious invasion of privacy.”

Sobhi continues, “From the perspective of the Egyptian constitution, Article 62 guarantees citizens the right to free movement and to obtain official documents without arbitrary restrictions. The imposition of political vetting is a direct violation of this article and undermines the principle of equality enshrined in the constitution. It discriminates against citizens based on their political views, treating opponents or non-supporters differently from loyalists, which is a blatant breach of constitutional justice.”

He adds, “Diplomatically, international norms are clear about the role of embassies and consulates: their primary function is to provide services to citizens without interference in their political views or imposing restrictive security measures. Such actions constitute surveillance and targeting of political dissidents, contravening all international diplomatic conventions and human rights principles. Embassies are not security agencies; they are service-oriented entities aimed at facilitating citizens’ affairs. Any overreach in this regard implicates them in human rights violations.”

Sobhi concludes that the current practices raise significant concerns, opening the door to increased discrimination and targeting. “This is something everyone must oppose to protect citizenship rights and human dignity,” he emphasizes.

As of May 2024, the Ministry of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs estimated the number of Egyptians abroad to be 14 million, according to former minister Soha El-Gendy. The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics reported 11 million Egyptians living abroad as of late 2022, based on the annual statistical report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The total number of Egyptians abroad has grown by over seven million since 2013, when it was approximately six million and 11,000, reaching 14 million in 2024, according to CAPMAS.

Transnational Repression

Under this title, a joint report published last September by the Egyptian Human Rights Forum and the Egyptian Front for Human Rights documented extensive violations faced by Egyptians living abroad due to strict security measures imposed through embassies. The report details numerous incidents of arbitrary practices in issuing civil documents and renewing national ID cards or passports, highlighting widespread restrictions on entire families and their deprivation of fundamental rights.

According to the report, “Egyptian authorities have continued to target and intimidate human rights defenders abroad to silence them and halt their legitimate activities.” The report outlines patterns of targeting human rights activists overseas, including issuing in absentia prison sentences, initiating investigations, and pressing charges in politically motivated cases related to peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Other measures include the arbitrary denial of consular services such as issuing national ID cards, birth certificates for themselves and their children, or renewing Egyptian passports.

Additionally, these tools include “freezing the civil registry status of prominent rights defenders within Egypt, thereby denying them access to official documents; placing some expatriate human rights defenders on terrorist watchlists; intimidating family members of rights defenders residing in Egypt; monitoring and surveilling activists’ activities in their countries of residence; and targeting activists and their organizations digitally using surveillance and spyware technologies.”

The report highlights that “since the end of 2013, official security and political strategies have systematically targeted the Egyptian human rights movement, both domestically and abroad. These measures extend to all social circles linked to members of this movement.” The report is based on a series of interviews with activists and human rights defenders who were forced to leave Egypt between 2017 and 2020 and who now reside in countries such as the European Union, Turkey, Qatar, and the United States.

This report is not the first of its kind. In March of last year, a similar report by Human Rights Watch discussed extensive violations faced by Egyptians abroad due to security restrictions imposed by some embassies and consulates. The report noted that the Egyptian embassy in Qatar introduced a new system in 2023 requiring Egyptians, including children and infants, applying for passports or updating their information, to fill out special forms known as “security clearance forms.”

According to the report, these forms are reviewed by security agencies before passport issuance. However, the organization emphasized that this procedure is unlawful and not stipulated in Egyptian laws. It also noted that the outcomes of these reviews are later published on the embassy’s Facebook page, causing concern among dissidents.

The organization conducted interviews with 26 Egyptians residing in countries such as Turkey, Germany, Malaysia, and Qatar, and reviewed documents related to nine of them. It confirmed that the Egyptian consulate in Istanbul requires applicants for any services to submit unofficial forms containing private information, such as reasons for leaving Egypt and links to their social media accounts.

Numerous complaints have been raised by Egyptians abroad demanding their constitutional rights and access to official documents for themselves and their families through Egyptian embassies and consulates. These authoritative decisions deepen the sense of estrangement among expatriates, caught between their homeland they were forced to leave and their new exile, where they are required to present official documents to sustain their lives.

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