EGYPT

Arabic

Words and phrases

بدون/Bidun Literal meaning: “without.”

غير محدد الجنسية | Ghair Muhaddad al-Ginsiyyah Meaning: “citizenship not identified.”

ساقط قيد | Saaqit Qayd Meaning: “dropped from the records.” The contributor explains that this expression is often used in Egypt for people whose births were not registered.

How statelessness is understood

The contributor describes statelessness in the Egyptian context as a form of “institutional invisibility”, where being unable to establish an identity before the State can affect interactions with institutions and access to everyday services. The contributor uses the powerful description “civil death” to capture this experience.

Everyday expression

عايش في الظل | Aish fi el-Dhel

“Living in the shadows.”

The contributor notes that Bidun is a legalistic term associated with the Gulf, while Saaqit Qayd may be more common in Egypt but describes the lack of registration rather than the wider experience of being an outsider.

People may therefore describe the experience through its everyday consequences: “I don't have a card”, feeling unable to move freely, or describing themselves as “a ghost in the system.”