Separated Refugee Children in Cairo. A Rights-Based Analysis
Author(s): A. El-Hilally L. Maxwell
This research examines international legal standards on the protection and care of separated child refugees and compares them with the cases of such children living in Cairo. The research is based on thirty-four interviews with separated asylum seeking and recognised refugee children from five countries of origin: Sudan, Somalia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burundi. The paper begins with an examination of international and Egyptian law relating to the protection and care of separated children, and with a description of the governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental agencies mandated to care for such children in Egypt. The second half focuses on the situation of separated refugee children in Cairo: their living conditions, access to asylum procedures, health care, education, and their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation. The final part presents a summary of findings and recommendations to the Egyptian Government, UNHCR and the international and local NGO community in Egypt.