New Capital Opens First Family Legal Aid Office for Foreign Residents

The Ministry of Justice has inaugurated the country’s first specialised family legal aid office for foreign residents at the Foreigners Services Building in the New Capital. The office offers free legal consultations and family counselling services to foreign residents and individuals married to Egyptian citizens.

Services include guidance on family rights and obligations under Egyptian law, explanations of legal procedures, and referrals to appropriate legal channels.

Officials said the initiative comes in response to increasing demand for legal support related to mixed-nationality marriages and family disputes involving foreign parties. Justice Minister Mahmoud Helmy El-Sherif inaugurated the office alongside representatives from the United Nations Development Programme and the Dutch Embassy in Cairo.

According to the ministry, the office was established through cooperation between the ministry’s specialised courts sector and the UNDP under a partnership extending for more than a decade, reinforced through a 2024 cooperation protocol.

The facility has been equipped with digital and technical systems developed in cooperation with the Dutch government through the UNDP’s rule of law and human rights programme.

Officials said the office is intended to improve access to justice, simplify legal procedures, and support family stability by helping beneficiaries navigate legal processes more effectively. According to official figures, more than 10.5 million refugees and migrants currently reside in the country.