UNHCR Egypt receives more than 1,000 refugees and asylum-seekers at its offices every working day. One of the first points of contact with UNHCR are the reception areas in Greater Cairo and Alexandria.
There, protection staff counsel refugees and asylum-seekers entering the premises on a walk-in basis.
Apart from the reception areas in our four offices, refugees have several other access avenues to UNHCR. This includes our in-house telephone infolines in Cairo and Alexandria.
The 13 call attendants respond to an average of 750 calls daily, and provide information in seven languages (English, Arabic, French, Amharic, Oromo, Somali and Tigrinya). A two-way communication also takes place through home visits, refugee outreach volunteers, focus group discussions, and our social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook).
We also seek feedback on the services provided through regular meetings with community representatives. Our partner NGOs, which implement part of our activities, have additional communication channels with the refugee community.
Their offices have integrity mechanisms in place, such as anti-fraud and complaints receipt systems, in order to fully adhere to UNHCR’s principles and guidelines.