Egyptian police arrested 28-year-old Karim Ahmed — who asked that his real name not be used due to security concerns — earlier this year while he was working in a restaurant in 6th of October City, a Cairo suburb. Ahmed, an Iraqi refugee who came to Egypt with his father in 2016, was held in an overcrowded cell where he could barely stretch his legs for 15 days. “I have a valid [tourist] visa that I renew every three months, and I have the yellow [asylum seeker] UN card, but that meant nothing [to the police],” Ahmed told Al-Monitor.

The neighborhood where police took Ahmed is known for being home to a large refugee population, a fact that is evidenced by the variety of Iraqi, Syrian and Sudanese restaurants and shops that have given life to the area. It also means security forces often go on random sprees to check migrants for residency documents.

“Every morning from four to six they would beat us,” Ahmed told Al-Monitor, explaining the notorious conditions of Egyptian police stations. “You manage not to get arrested in your own country, only to be arrested where you are supposed to be taking refuge.”

Yet going back to Iraq remains a bigger risk. “I wouldn’t be here if things were OK in my country or if we would not face death if we went back,” he said.