Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said that his country does not see why it should take in all refugees fleeing the blockaded Gaza Strip amid the conflict. "I see no reason why Egypt, which is hosting 9 million refugees - hosting them and providing them integration into our society at considerable burden on our economy - should have to bear solely [the] additional influx of Gazans."
According to the International Organization for Migration, in August 2022, there were 9 million refugees from 133 different countries in Egypt.
Egypt and Gaza
Egypt and the Gaza Strip are only connected via the Rafah crossing on the Gaza side of the border with Israel. Egypt has lately been hesitant to open the Rafah gate for the flow of people unless Israel permits the entry of humanitarian assistance, as reported by CNBC.
As Egypt claims Israel is continuing its airstrikes, the Rafah border is the sole possible departure for the majority of the more than 2 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip territory. After the multifaceted terror assaults on October 7 by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, Israel announced it would only strike against Hamas' strategic defenses.
More than a million people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began, according to an estimate by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) released earlier this week. The figure is based on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) order late last week for residents of northern Gaza to evacuate southward due to a potential ground invasion into the territory.
"We are proud that we have always supported our brethren," Shoukry told CNBC's Dan Murphy, referring to governments in Africa and the Middle East. "But we hope that other countries will also bear the share of the burden, and provide for vulnerable communities the necessary support. I think those who have greater resources should probably bear greater responsibilities," he added.
Foreign Policy reports that Egypt has sent hundreds of soldiers to the Rafah crossing to prevent the 2.3 million people living in Gaza from crossing into the Sinai Peninsula, where Egypt is already fighting rebels.
Same Sentiments
Earlier, Jordan reiterated its position that, like Egypt, it would not admit Gazan refugees. "On the issue of refugees coming to Jordan ... that is a red line," King Abdullah II stated.
He issued a severe warning if the conflict between Israel and the Hamas terror group were to spread to other countries. He emphasized that people in Gaza and the West Bank themselves must take action to improve the humanitarian situation there.
Abdullah said that he was concerned about the impending collapse of the whole region. "All our efforts are needed to make sure we don't get there," he added.
