High-school student Al-Nazir Al-Sadig sought safety in Egypt from the civil war in Sudan. Instead, the 18-year-old died of pneumonia after more than three weeks in a squalid Cairo jail.
Al-Sadig was detained as part of what lawyers and human rights groups describe as a sweeping crackdown on refugees that contrasts sharply with Egypt's stated role as a safe haven.
Egypt rejects the claims that it is unwelcoming to refugees: It took in more than a million people when war broke out in Sudan in 2023. However, Egyptian authorities have since taken an increasingly strict line in the face of an economic crisis and rising anti-migrant sentiment.
