Palestinian EU Worker Appeals to European Commission After Job Loss and Residency Crisis
A Palestinian man who worked for the EU in Gaza has reached out to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after the closure of his office left him stranded in Cairo without employment or legal residency.
Mohammed Baraka, who previously worked with the EU’s Rafah border mission in southern Gaza, was evacuated to Egypt when the conflict began. He has criticized EU officials for abruptly terminating his employment by email and, in his view, neglecting a dedicated staff member.
Baraka now has no means of returning to Gaza, no legal status in Egypt, and no ability to travel elsewhere, as he lacks proper documentation due to the hurried evacuation in 2023.
In a letter to von der Leyen, obtained by *CuriosityNews*, Baraka pleaded for her intervention to reverse the decision, stating he had not been consulted or warned about the dismissal after nearly 20 years of service.
“How can the EU justify leaving behind a long-term employee during a war—one who was evacuated for his own safety and has no secure future?” he wrote.
“This is not about charity. It is about justice,” Baraka added in the June 22 letter. “It is a matter of human rights, dignity, and moral responsibility. If the EU dismisses staff under such conditions, what does that say about the values it claims to uphold?”
Baraka joined the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBam) in Rafah in 2006, serving as an unarmed civilian observer at the Gaza-Egypt crossing. As the only Gaza-based staff member, he was moved to Cairo in November 2023 but continued supporting NGO workers, including medical and aid personnel.
Now unable to return—his home was destroyed and over 100 relatives killed in the war—he fears for his family’s survival in Egypt. His wife is seriously ill, and he has sought help from a former EU diplomat, writing, “If something happens to me, please look after my daughters. They have no one here if I die.”
The diplomat, speaking anonymously, urged the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, to negotiate with Egyptian authorities to secure Baraka’s residency and work permits. If unsuccessful, they suggested relocating him to Brussels with continued employment.
The EU stated Baraka’s evacuation was voluntary and acknowledged providing financial support due to his “exceptional situation.” However, it said it could not assist with his legal status in Egypt.
Baraka also recounted that his children had witnessed wartime horrors in Gaza.
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