Divorced men in Egypt who fail to pay court‑ordered alimony or child support will be barred from travel and placed on watch lists in the most forceful action against defaulters yet.
As part of government preparations for a sweeping overhaul of family legislation, public prosecutor Mohamed Shawky ordered that those convicted of failing to pay alimony and child support are added to no‑fly and entry watch systems until they settle outstanding fees.
Prosecutors will “continue to take all necessary steps to enforce rulings, uphold the rule of law and safeguard legally protected rights”, he warned.
The Justice Ministry last week suspended access to a number of government services for convicted alimony defaulters. These include renewal of passports and certain categories of professional driving licences, and the issue of retail business permits and ration cards. Such services would be restored once the arrears are settled.
The ministry's decision, which it said was aimed at “supporting family stability” and ensuring wives and children received financial support on time, was made under enforcement powers approved by Egypt's parliament in 2020 that have largely remained unused.
These steps come amid intense scrutiny of Egypt’s personal status framework, after a mother of two in Alexandria died by suicide during a social media live-stream on April 12.
Social Solidarity Minister Maya Morsy said it appeared to be “about a dispute over the home she shared with her daughters” and described it as an alarm bell over the injustice faced by women.
Similar cases in the past year have shone a light on the economic pressures on single mothers and how these have intensified with the country’s rising inflationary woes.
Three days after the death in Alexandria, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi instructed the government to submit a package of family‑related draft laws to parliament, including revised personal status bills for Muslims and Christians, and a new Family Support Fund law.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the government had revised and drafted the bills and was preparing to refer them to the Cabinet before sending them to parliament.
Successive governments have treated family law as a three‑way balancing act between powerful religious institutions, civilian and women’s rights advocates and the state’s own interest in promoting social order.
The presidency and cabinet stressed last week that the current drafts were drawn up “in consultation” with Al Azhar, the churches and legal experts to align with constitutional references to Sharia and Christian canon law, while responding to public anger over cases such as the woman's death in Alexandria.
Al Azhar, the leading authority in Sunni Islam, and conservative voices have historically pushed back against proposals they see as weakening the husband’s authority, or religiously mandated rules on divorce and guardianship, while feminist groups argue that many earlier drafts entrenched discrimination over custody, alimony and unilateral divorce rights.
Justice Minister Mahmoud El Sherif said the Christian draft, processed separately from the Muslim one, will be discussed with representatives of Egypt’s various Christian denominations in the coming days before being submitted to the cabinet and then parliament.
The new bills feature the establishment of the so-called Family Support Fund, a social welfare mechanism under which single mothers would receive a stipend, the Justice Ministry has said. Legislators will discuss details of the fund, such as how it will be governed and the amounts to be disbursed.
A number of political parties have held forums over the past month to finalise their positions on the laws. Parliament is expected to begin debates on the legislation in the coming weeks, after Mr El Sisi’s directive to move “as quickly as possible” to pass the family laws.
