Yemenis fall victim to protection rackets in Egypt

Yemenis who fled the conflict in their country between the Houthis and the current Yemeni regime headed by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have not found the safe life they sought. Despite their attempts to protect themselves and their families by heading to Egypt, their lives are still at risk.

In Egypt, armed gangs and thugs target and terrify Yemenis residing in Cairo. They stir panic and fear to reap profit and earn monthly payments by imposing fees and promising to protect the Yemenis against any harm, corruption on the part of local traders or blackmail by the region’s residents. All of this takes place amid idleness on the part of Egyptian security authorities and the Yemeni Embassy.

In front of the Yemeni Embassy, ​​located in Cairo’s Dokki neighborhood, one of these thugs tracks and monitors the Yemenis, then offers assistance to find accommodation and fulfill their needs in exchange for monthly payments. The Yemenis, held at gunpoint by the armed gangs, could be kidnapped and robbed if they do not agree to the monthly payments.

Mukhaimar, 51, lives in the Faisal region located in the Giza governorate on the outskirts of Cairo. He is married and has three sons. He told Al-Monitor, “As I was leaving the Yemeni Embassy immediately after I arrived to Cairo, fleeing imminent death in Yemen and the heated Operation Decisive Storm launched by the coalition forces led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the participation of Egypt, three people came up to me. They were dressed in black suits and introduced themselves as police officers. They asked me for my passport to check its validity and then took me to a private vehicle. One of them asked his partner to search me. At the time I had $900 on me. They explained the gravity of the situation in Egypt and offered me protection in return for 2,000 Egyptian pounds [$255] per month. They had me at gunpoint, and I ended up paying them this amount every month.”