Egypt
Politicized birth registration practices as part of conflict / contests over territory
The Halayeb and the Shalateen triangle in eastern Egypt was claimed by both Egypt and Sudan, but annexed by Egypt in 1902. The Beja people are an ethnic and linguistic minority group whose tribes/clans live in the contested territory. A 2021 civil society submission to CEDAW explained how the conflict has produced statelessness for the Beja. While many left for Sudan, those who remained and their descendants have been denied citizenship by Egypt, resulting in a lack of national identification documents. Without identification, parents are unable to secure birth registration for subsequent generations, creating a situation of intergenerational statelessness.
Promising Practices and Updates
A 2025 stakeholder submission to the UPR reported that Egyptian citizens who marry members of the Beja minority in southern Egypt cannot pass their nationality on to their children. This is despite the Egyptian Constitution stating that citizenship is a right to anyone born to an Egyptian father or an Egyptian mother.
Additional Documentation
Bordering Practice
Spatial-Territorial
Region
Middle East & North Africa