The decision by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior to remove security barriers surrounding the British Embassy in the historic Garden City area of Cairo has garnered significant public attention and praise from Egyptian citizens.
In a statement on its official account on X, the British Embassy announced: “On Sunday, August 31, Egyptian authorities removed the security barriers outside the British Embassy in Cairo. The main building of the embassy will be closed while the impact of these changes is reviewed.”
Additionally, the embassy issued a reminder that “emergency consular assistance remains available,” urging individuals to check its travel advice for updates by contacting them via phone.
Egyptian media personality Ahmed Moussa commented on the event, stating on his official X account: “As the great people demanded last week, the orders of the Egyptian nation to remove the barriers and open the streets in front of the British Embassy in Garden City, which had been closed to traffic for years, were executed this morning. What happened today is a correction of a previous error; the embassy had enjoyed special treatment with excessive barriers that impeded citizens’ movement.”
Some individuals linked the removal of the security barriers to demands from various Egyptian parties for a principle of “reciprocity” with countries that do not provide adequate security for Egyptian embassies. This follows recent protests in London where demonstrators attacked the Egyptian Embassy, and the British police arrested Egyptians who were defending it, prompting Cairo to intervene for their release.
Following the removal of the barriers, the British Embassy in Cairo announced this morning that the main building would be closed until further review of these alterations.
In recent times, Egyptian authorities expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of security measures at its embassies in several European countries amidst protests related to the Israeli-Gaza conflict, which Cairo deems “suspicious campaigns” aimed at discrediting Egypt and diverting attention from Israel’s actions.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty stated in television remarks that ambassadors from those countries were summoned and informed of the necessity to ensure the complete protection of Egyptian diplomatic missions and to take responsibility for any security shortcomings or breaches of international laws governing diplomatic relations.
He emphasized that Egypt had taken a deterrent step by reducing the security levels around these embassies in Cairo, as part of a principle of reciprocity, which is a legitimate right for any country whose missions face violations or attacks.
Last week, the Tagammu Party in Egypt called for a reciprocal approach and the establishment of a new principle whereby “we will not protect those who do not protect us,” in reaction to the arrest of Egyptians in London who were assisting in safeguarding the embassy.
The party expressed deep concern and sorrow over the actions of British authorities in detaining a devoted Egyptian national connected to the Union of Egyptians Abroad, labeling the move as shocking and a blatant violation of fundamental justice principles, a gross infringement on human rights, and a breach of established diplomatic norms and mutual respect between nations.
They urged the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take decisive and clear action in response, insisting that Egypt should not tolerate the ongoing double standards that tarnish its standing and image, asserting that “the time has come to reassess the treatment afforded to British diplomatic missions in Cairo, particularly the British Embassy in Garden City.”