Human communities on Earth are facing increasing challenges related to human rights, with forced eviction remaining one of the most dangerous challenges threatening the safety and stability of individuals. Forced evictions are a harsh tool in the hands of governments, and a violation of individuals’ basic rights, contradicting numerous international treaties and conventions that guarantee human rights. The danger of these evictions lies in the loss of personal safety for individuals and their families after the threat to their housing security, and the lack of suitable housing alternatives can lead to an increase in the population in informal areas, resulting in sustained poverty and deteriorating living conditions. This also leads to higher crime rates and conflict between the community and security forces tasked with carrying out the evictions.
Forced evictions also reflect a deterioration in the economic conditions of affected individuals, impacting economic development indicators. They extend to other sectors like education and health due to family displacement and sudden relocation without prior arrangements, as seen previously with the residents of Asmarat, where children were delayed for a year before enrolling in schools. In the context of growing population numbers and economic environmental changes, countries must adhere to human rights principles and focus on effective solutions to address the phenomenon of coerced housing evictions. Achieving sustainable development requires compliance with international treaties and improving housing policies to ensure economic and social stability for affected communities.
Al-Jamil District: A New Violation of Citizens’ Right to Adequate Housing
The residents of Al-Jamil District in the western part of Port Said Governorate are being forcibly evicted from their homes, with harsh treatment from the Ministry of the Interior to prevent any attempts by the residents to hold on to their homes. The Egyptian government began the forced eviction process this week, completely ignoring the solutions proposed by the residents to develop their area. Despite the directives from the President to the Ministry of Housing, represented by the General Organization for Urban Planning, to consult with the residents and offer them alternative solutions, these directives remain media and political statements that are contradicted the very next day, undermining the rights of the Egyptian people to live safely.
Residents of Al-Jamil District live 5 km west of Port Said, an area known for its tourism and strategic location on the Mediterranean Sea. The residents hold long-term usufruct contracts that are renewed annually, with either party (the governorate or the residents) able to terminate the contract. Currently, the governorate refuses to renew the contract and has sent eviction notices to the residents without consulting them. A member of the Port Said Governorate’s parliament requested to halt the eviction decision until consultation with the residents and presenting their proposal to purchase the area. However, the response from the Urban Planning Authority, which the President had tasked with presenting alternatives, was negative and aligned with the governorate’s decision, indicating inconsistency in government decisions and manipulation of citizens’ interests.
In 2019, the Egyptian Cabinet decided to adjust the boundaries of the Ishtum El-Gamil Protected Area and Tanis Island in Port Said Governorate by subtracting an area of 61.18 acres from the total area, approving a presidential decree to reallocate 3075.38 acres of state-owned land to the New Urban Communities Authority for the construction of a new urban community (West Port Said)[1]. In 2022, the residents of Al-Jamil District submitted a request to the presidency explaining their situation[2], as the residents have been benefiting from the land since 1978 under a legal usufruct agreement renewed annually, with the residents having paid 6,000 EGP for administrative fees and provided basic utilities to the area. The district was granted construction permits, and the construction was supervised by a certified engineer, which refutes the claim that the area is an unplanned or informal settlement.
The residents have consistently paid the usufruct fees and property taxes over the years. According to them, they created a community development model and established a non-governmental organization, “Al-Jamil District Association for Environmental Protection and Local Community Development,” to manage development and environmental protection in the area after the governorate’s neglect. Despite submitting several requests to buy the land, their requests were rejected, citing the lack of a local council to discuss the matter. Meanwhile, the Port Said Governorate sold some land within the district at prices ranging from 10 to 1285 EGP per square meter. In 2020, the governorate decided not to collect the usufruct fees from the residents and informed them that the contract would not be renewed, and in line with the contract, the governorate’s decision would result in termination of the agreement. However, the residents deposited the due amounts in the Port Said Court.
In February 2022, the Port Said Governorate started sending eviction notices to the residents. The notice read: “You have previously been warned not to renew the annual land occupation license for the vacant land in Al-Jamil residential district, as per the agreement previously made with you, in accordance with the provisions of this contract and the Unified Building Law No. 119 of 2008, and pursuant to the Supreme Council for Urban Planning and Development’s decision under Law No. 23 dated 28/12/2020, approving the designation of Al-Jamil as a redevelopment area. Therefore, the governorate urges you to vacate the building on the mentioned land within one week in compliance with the law.”
The governorate began using Ministry of Interior forces to demolish the homes, despite the residents’ protests. According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, security forces have used individuals outside the law (“thugs”) to clash with the residents. The Commission also documented threats made by the district head to one of the residents, offering him money through these “thugs” with the threat that if he did not accept it, his house would be demolished. The continued forced eviction operations by the current Egyptian government pose a serious threat to citizens and represent an ongoing continuation of neglectful policies. This governmental behavior demonstrates a disregard for citizens’ rights to safe housing.
Al-Jamil District is Not the First and Will Not Be the Last
On July 16, 2017, Egyptian authorities stormed[3] Waraq Island in northern Giza to evict residents and demolish their homes by force, with security forces imposing a blockade on the island. The island’s residents objected to the eviction attempt, as they had received no prior warnings or consultations regarding the project, compensation for the affected individuals, or alternative housing. This situation exposed them to the risk of homelessness if the eviction went through. The residents gathered, refusing to leave their homes and demanding to be treated as “occupants” and their situation legalized. This was met with force from the authorities, including the use of firearms and tear gas to disperse the residents. According to press reports, several injuries occurred among the residents, and security forces closed all entrances to the island, imposing a siege and preventing anyone from entering or leaving until they eventually withdrew. The eviction operations continued to threaten the residents until today, and the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms documented the random arrest of island residents by police checkpoints outside the area to force them to surrender their land and accuse those arrested of terrorism.
The same scenario occurred with the residents of Nazlet El-Samman[4] in January 2019. Nazlet El-Samman, located in Giza Governorate, is directly adjacent to the Pyramids of Giza and was home to residents who earned their livelihoods in the tourism services sector. The development of the Nazlet El-Samman area began at the end of President Mubarak’s rule, with the construction of an 18-kilometer-long wall in 2002 to isolate the area from the Giza Plateau. In 2009, as part of the Cairo 2050 Plan, the government proposed a development plan for Nazlet El-Samman, aiming to remove the informal infrastructure around the Pyramids area. This development plan envisioned turning the area into a major tourist destination due to its strategic location between the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum. The government planned to relocate 53,392 residents of Nazlet El-Samman over six years, at an estimated cost of 1.5 billion EGP. However, the residents were not involved in the decision-making process, despite being key stakeholders in the development. The results of the development plan were discussed in the Environment and Development Group meeting in June 2014, where representatives from the General Authority for Urban Planning and the government attended. However, the residents, except for influential families, were excluded from the discussion and protested when they learned of the plans to demolish buildings in the area.
On January 17, 2019, security forces from the Giza Security Directorate began demolishing buildings in Nazlet El-Samman and evicting its residents, which led to protests by the residents on Sunday, January 21, 2019, rejecting the forced eviction operations carried out by the Egyptian authorities. The Egyptian Constitution prohibits forced eviction under Article 63: “Forced eviction in all its forms is prohibited, and violating this is a crime that is not subject to prescription.” Additionally, the Constitution guarantees the right to a safe life under Article 59: “The right to a safe life is guaranteed for every individual, and the state is obligated to provide security and comfort to its citizens and anyone residing in its territories, along with an adequate standard of living.” The authorities’ actions also violated the right to life and the right to adequate housing under international human rights treaties, especially the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Furthermore, the security forces arrested 12 residents during the protests, including Hassan Zomor Fayed, Mohamed Hassan Zomor, Amr Gamal Eldin Salah, Hassan Gamal Fayed, Amir Fouad Fayed, Fouad Amir Fayed, Mohamed Sawabi El-Gabry, Tarek El-Mimouni, Mohamed Adel Fayed, Ashraf Yassin El-Gabry, Hani Yassin El-Gabry, and Islam Abdel Karim El-Gabry.
Community Participation
Enhancing community participation is crucial to building sustainable human settlements and improving living conditions. Local authorities must recognize residents as key stakeholders and consult them in urban planning and development decisions. Efforts should be made to engage with communities early in the process, considering their needs and ensuring transparency in decision-making. In the case of Al-Jamil District, the government ignored residents’ input, refusing their alternative proposals, leading to conflict and loss of trust between the authorities and the community.
By prioritizing the rights and needs of residents, and adopting effective policy frameworks, governments can help prevent the negative effects of forced evictions and build a more inclusive urban development model based on the principles of human rights and sustainable development.
[1] الهيئة العامة للاستعلامات، اجتمــاع مجلـس الــوزراء رقــم (60) برئـاسة الدكتور مصطفى مدبولي، 10 أكتوبر 2019.
[2] الوفد، إنذار بالطرد والإزالات تهدد قاطني وحدات ضاحية الجميل ببورسعيد، 22 مارس 2022.
[3] المفوضية المصرية للحقوق والحريات، محاولة بائسة لإخلاء أهالي جزيرة الوراق من منازلهم بالإكراه تكشف خطورة التعامل الأمني مع قضايا “المناطق العشوائية و التنمية”، بيان صحفي، 16 يوليو 2017.
[4] المفوضية المصرية للحقوق والحريات، الاخلاء القسري لأهالي “نزلة السمان” .. استمرار لنهج الحكومة المصرية في انتهاك القانون والمعاهدات الدولية، بيان صحفي، 22 يناير 2019.
[5] العهد الدولي الخاص بالحقوق الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والثقافية. اعتمد وعرض للتوقيع والتصديق والانضمام بموجب قرار الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة 2200 ألف (د-21) المؤرخ في 16 كانون الأول/ديسمبر 1966
[6] التعليق العام رقم 1997- 7، الحق في السكن الملائم: حالات إخلاء المساكن بالإكراه، المادة 1-11 من العهد الدولي الخاص بالحقوق الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والثقافية.
