Citizens from Giza’s Warraq island have filed lawsuits with the administrative court to stop the execution of a government decision to expropriate their land and homes on the Nile island.

“Local lawyers filed the lawsuits with the administrative court to stop the cabinet’s decision to confiscate land with no regard to the impact on residents,” Yahia El-Maghraby, the spokesperson of the Warraq island’s families council, told Ahram Online. 

On 22 November, PM Mostafa Madbouly issued a decree to expropriate 100 metres of land along both sides of the Rod Al-Farrag Axis – which crosses 200 metres of the island – as well as 30 metres from the shoreline inland around the island to construct a cornice (waterside road).

“There are 5,000 people who live on this island who are affected by [this decision], and nobody in the government has cared to ask how they will be affected,” El-Maghraby said.

El-Maghraby also criticised the decision to conduct a survey among residents to determine compensation only after the implementation of the decision.

“Shouldn't the government do this survey first before the expropriation?” El-Maghraby said.

“We make a plea to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to listen to us. We just want the cabinet to issue a ministerial decree that the islanders should not be afraid and that they are going to stay on the island," he said, adding that for the past year the government has failed to share with them the urbanisation and development plans.

The fight over the 1,400-feddan island reached a boiling point in the summer of 2017 when a local islander was killed and dozens were injured after security forces stormed the island to implement eviction and demolition orders for buildings constructed illegally on state-owned land.  

There are currently 22 islanders standing trial for attacking security forces during the incident.  

The locals deny that they built on state-owned land, saying that the state only owns 60 feddans, and that the rest is legal private property. 

“Ninety percent of the people who live on this island have roots that go back 400 years, and the remaining 10 percent are outsiders who have no problem with leaving the island,” El-Maghraby said, adding that the population of the island is estimated at 90,000 to 100,00 people.  

“We do not want to leave the island and will not leave the island, but at the same time we do not reject any urbanisation plans,” he added.