Uncertainty clouds fate of Syrians in Egypt after Assad ouster

By Jaidaa Taha, Mahmoud Salama and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan

CAIRO (Reuters) - Syrian refugees and residents in Egypt face an uncertain future as new regulations may jeopardise their right to remain in the country after Bashar al-Assad's ouster earlier this month.

European countries quickly suspended Syrian asylum applications after the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham swept into Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after a 13-year civil war.

Other countries are also responding to the changing political landscape.

Egypt last week ratified a new law giving the government the power to determine refugee status. A decision has not been made on whether Syrians in Egypt would qualify as refugees under the new law, security sources told Reuters.

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR estimates six million Syrians are living as refugees around the world, primarily in neighbouring countries. It expects 1 million to return in the next six months, but some Syrian refugees fear being forced to return home.

Egypt is also suspending the renewal of existing residency permits, held by many Syrians for tourism, education, or business, pending a security check, security sources told Reuters.

Syrian residents who spoke to Reuters were mostly unaware of the new rules, and many were also cautious about returning home.

"The situation there is not stable and we still do not know what will happen," said Ahmed al-Akhras, owner of a car spare parts business, who said his children's schooling and his shop were other reasons to stay.

He said his residency permit renewal was delayed so, like a number of other Syrians, he recently applied for UNHCR refugee status.

"If I go back to Syria, it won't be now," he said.

"We are afraid of the unknown, we don't know who the new person that took over is, we don't know the future," said another Syrian who had been in Egypt for 12 years.

Residency decisions would be based on security considerations, the sources said. One cited concerns about Egypt's own internal security after Assad's replacement by the rebels.

REFUGEE 'BURDEN'

Egypt has taken a diplomatic approach to the upheaval in Syria, but state-linked media have referred to the rebels as "terrorist" groups. 

With Egypt tackling an economic crisis of its own, officials have often described refugees in the country, which they number at 10 million, as a burden.

The UNHCR puts the number of refugees in Egypt at around 800,000, including about 159,000 Syrians. Hundreds of thousands more Syrians have residency permits in Egypt, and many own businesses.

"There is no other country in the globe hosting this number of refugees while receiving the same treatment as Egyptian citizens despite the fact we are not a rich country," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters last week, citing the absence of refugee camps and access to free education, healthcare, and subsidies.

"This law strikes a balance between upholding our international commitments, while preserving the national security of Egypt."

The law, ratified on Dec. 17, transfers the asylum system to the government from the U.N., and allows the government to collect more data on the number of refugees.

"Of course, the increase in numbers of registered refugees will contribute in providing more aid (from the international community) to Egypt. This is not a bad thing," said lawmaker Freddy Elbaiady.

The law includes provisions protecting refugee rights to work, health, and education and freedom from exploitation.

Rights groups have criticised the new law. They point out that the definition of a refugee is ambiguous, and authorities have the right to deport anyone they deem does not qualify.

While there was no sign of a sudden deportation of Syrians, it was likely Cairo would change its perception of Syrians as a group in need of protection as the situation stabilises, said Karim Ennara of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, an independent human rights organisation.

In response to questions by Reuters, the UNHCR said it would continue to advocate for clear asylum procedures in Egypt.

(Editing by Nafisa Eltahir and Christina Fincher)