°®Âþµº

Egyptian authorities have informed travel and airline companies in the country not to allow Syrian nationals to enter Egypt from anywhere in the world, except those holding temporary residency permits.

It’s the second time Egypt has issued a decision blocking the entry of Syrians since Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled in Damascus on 8 December.

Two weeks ago, Egypt banned the entry of Syrian nationals holding European, American, and Canadian residency permits unless they obtained prior security approval from Cairo.

An entry ban was also imposed on Syrian Schengen visa holders, in addition to Syrians married to Egyptians, unless they too obtain a security permit.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians settled in EgyptÌýafter conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, following a violent crackdown by Assad’s forces on pro-democracy protests.

The Egyptian government claims that more than a million Syrians live in the country of more than 110 million, but the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says only around 153,000 Syrians are registered.

Last week, Egyptian authorities reportedly banned the entry of Palestinians coming from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan – countries ravaged by conflict or internal crises.