immigration family-law egypt
Can male guardians prevent Egyptian women from leaving the country?
<p>As an unmarried adult Egyptian woman living abroad with a valid Egyptian passport, can my father/brother/... stop me, by law, from leaving Egypt after a visit there? </p>

<p>I know I don't need to show a permission by a male guardian at the airport to leave Egypt (unlike, say, women from Saudi Arabia), so by default I am allowed to leave the country, but what if my father/brother/... gets active to prevent that? </p>

<p>Given the nature of the question, I would add that in addition to <em>any</em> counsel from any lawyer, that these questions are given careful thought &amp; consideration.  You must make the decision as to whether or not to visit and must live with the risk &amp; (potentially severe) consequences.  Is it wise to rely on the law to protect you from hostiles?</p>

<p>IMHO based on the question, I suspect you are concerned that you will be held against your will in Egypt.  If this is true, then there are other higher priority questions that should be posed:</p>

<ul>
<li>Is there law / practice / precedent that could cause detainment?</li>
<li>Does the male relative have the positional authority to detain (policeman etc.)?</li>
<li>Is the benefit of a visit worth the risk?</li>
<li>What alternatives are available to visit: can you meet family in another country?</li>
<li>What risk mitigation can be engaged to prevent detainment?</li>
</ul>

<p>I am sure that there are other good questions that I have not listed.  I hope this helps to make a good decision and avoid a bad outcome.</p>
