Egypt is situated in northeastern Africa, bordering Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, Israel and the Gaza Strip to the northeast, the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east. The country hosts a diverse refugee population originating primarily from Sudan, Syria, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, Somalia and Iraq, who predominantly reside in urban centres such as Cairo, Alexandria and Giza, with no formal camps established.

In 1980, Egypt ratified the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, and in 1981, Egypt acceded to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.  On 16 December 2024, the Law Regarding the Asylum of Foreigners (Law No. 164/2024) was published, marking the first domestic codification of asylum procedures and defining timelines, institutional roles and procedural safeguards. The country’s overall protection environment remains generally tolerant, but challenges have increased with the recent influx of refugees fleeing Sudan, following the onset of the conflict in April 2023.