U.N. in frank talks with Egypt on Eritrea refugees

By Cynthia Johnston

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. refugee agency said on Monday it was engaged in frank discussions with Egypt about the mass deportation of Eritrean asylum seekers.

Egypt deported up to 1,000 Eritrean asylum seekers in June in its largest forced returns of probable refugees in decades, despite concern by Amnesty International that they might face torture.

The asylum seekers were sent back to Eritrea despite objections by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner (UNHCR), which feared for their safety.

Hundreds more Eritreans are believed to be in Egyptian detention centers and risk deportation, rights groups say.

"I am having the opportunity to discuss these issues in a very frank and friendly atmosphere with the Egyptian government," Commissioner Antonio Guterres told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of an African Union summit in Egypt.

"We understand that countries have the right to protect their borders ... But this is not incompatible with granting protection to those that are really in need," he said.

For years, Egypt tolerated tens of thousands of African migrants in its territory, but its attitude changed in recent months after it came under pressure to halt a rising flow of Africans across its sensitive border with Israel.

Egypt has shot dead 16 African migrants at the Israeli border this year, most of them Eritreans, Ivorians and Sudanese.

"WESTERN WAIL"

Egypt's Foreign Ministry has criticized what it called a "Western wail" over the Eritrean migrants, saying Cairo wanted to balance security with respect for international obligations.

Guterres, whose agency had previously said it was unable to confirm Eritrean deportations, said he knew returns had taken place but gave no figures. He said he was due to meet Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit later.

"I believe that we will be making progress in the near future," Guterres said, adding he hoped the deportations had stopped. "Of course, the present situation is a worrying one."

Rights activists in Egypt, however, say they believe the decisions on the Eritreans came from Egypt's security apparatus, and the Foreign Ministry had little sway.

Egypt has largely denied the UNHCR access to detained Eritreans since February, although the agency saw 140 following international pressure over the returns. UNHCR has asked Egypt for information on the location and fate of 1,400 Eritreans.

Activists say the Eritreans may have been singled out because of their rising numbers and because Eritreans have surpassed Sudanese as the largest group of African migrants in Israel. Nearly all arrive via Egypt.