CAIRO: New measures proposed by a committee meeting at the National Security Authority are under advisement concerning the status of Iraqis residing in Egypt, including prohibiting Iraqi investment in certain business sectors.
Deemed “sensitive sectors, the proposal calls for the General Authority for Free Trade and Investment (GAFI) not to grant licenses for Iraqis wanting to invest in programming, printing, aviation, communications, media production, security companies, employment companies and schools.
The meeting was held to discuss the status of Iraqis in Egypt, and was attended by representatives from numerous security bodies such as the national security police, the secret service, and military intelligence as well as from GAFI and the Foreign Ministry.
During the meeting it was advised that Iraqis tend to locate more in the new cities, such as 6th of October city, Al Rehab and the New Cairo settlement, with an emphasis on middle income housing. In the meeting it was also stipulated that security services were monitoring Iraqi movements closely, with the claim made that Iraqis are trying to create a uniform sector within the Egyptian community, citing an intention to build an Iraqi school from funds donated by a wealthy Iraqi.
Another recommendation offered by the committee was to prohibit any official mass gatherings of Iraqis and the opening of any private schools for the Iraqi community. Since the start of the war, 120,000 Iraqis have come to Egypt. Recently, Egypt announced changes in the visa policy for Iraqis stipulating that visas will no longer be provided at points of entry in Egypt but had to be applied for in Egyptian consulates abroad.
