More than 3,000 Eritrean refugees have been detained in Egypt this year and some have reported sexual violence and torture, a human rights NGO said Monday.
The report, published by Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE), states that more than 3,000 refugees from the country have been arrested in Egypt since 10 January.
The NGO says it gathered testimonies and photographic evidence indicating that many detainees had suffered “beatings and burns inflicted with hot water and corrosive substances”, as well as sexual violence.
According to HRCE, two young children reportedly died after their mother was arrested. It added that some individuals may already have been deported to Eritrea despite being registered with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), which is mandated to protect them from forced return, arbitrary arrest and detention.
HRCE called on Egypt to “uphold its obligations under international refugee law” and urged the United Nations to “intervene immediately to prevent deportations”.
The organisation also states that there are more than 10,000 prisoners of conscience in Eritrea, including journalists, political dissidents and members of religious minorities, many of whom, it says, have been held for years without trial.
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Human rights in Eritrea
In its most recent resolution, the Human Rights Council of the UN expressed grave concern about the human rights situation in Eritrea.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, despite Eritrea’s relatively small population of 3.5 million, the country has become a major source of refugees. Eritrean refugees and asylum-seekers are spread across many countries, including Egypt, Sudan, Italy, France, Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Egypt and Eritrea have grown closer in recent months due to shared difficulties with Ethiopia.
The government in Cairo is worried by Ethiopia's new mega-dam on the River Nile, which it says poses an "existential threat" to its water security.
And Eritrea accuses landlocked Ethiopia of plotting to invade and take control of its port at Assab.
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Violations
Based on the testimonies, documentation, and photographic evidence received from Cairo, HRCE has documented in its reports patterns of beatings and burns inflicted with hot water and corrosive substances; extortion of money under threat of further harm; denial of medical treatment; sexual violence against detainees; transfers of detainees to the Eritrean Embassy for travel documentation processing; and even deportation.
"If confirmed, these developments raise serious concerns under international refugee law, including violations of the principle of non-refoulement and protections against arbitrary detention and torture," the report states.
HRCE is calling on the UNHCR to intervene to prevent deportations, for the Government of Egypt to uphold its obligations under international refugee law, and for international human rights organisations a to monitor the situation.
