On Monday, approximately three weeks after World Refugee Day (which falls on June 20), British ambassador to Egypt John Casson, alongside the UNHCR and UK embassy in Egypt, hosted an intimate reception in his private residence to toast the country’s contributions to supporting refugees. The event was attended by Egyptian government officials, dignitaries, human rights advocates, members of non-governmental organizations, and the press, as well as Egyptian celebrities who all turned up to stand in solidarity with refugees. Among the latter was actress and Vogue Arabia cover star Salma Abu Deif, and actor Ahmed Hatem.
The model took to her Instagram account to share a photograph from the evening with her 660,000 followers. She posted a group photo of herself posing with Hatem, professional squash players Ali Farag and Nour El-Tayeb, CEO of the El Gouna Film Festival Amr Mansi, and the British ambassador to Egypt. “We stand #withRefugees @unhcregypt world… reception of Celebration World refugee day at the British ambassador’s residence. Thank you for hosting us for such a cause. The world can contain all of us with love and peace #StandingTogether,” she wrote alongside the photograph. El-Tayeb shared a similar image, writing: “Thanks to @unhcregypt for the invitation to attend World Refugee Day at the British Ambassador’s residence. Every refugee deserves somewhere safe to live and I’m proud of my country for standing #withrefugees.”
There were rousing speeches from two refugees during the reception, in which they talked about the main challenges faced by displaced people in Egypt, which was then followed by performances from Syrian and African refugee bands. Guests then enjoyed a photo exhibition entitled “Then & Now— Refugee Voices in Egypt”, a pictorial display that shone a spotlight on the North African country’s hospitality towards asylum-seekers.
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