Amnesty International reported in a statement on Wednesday that "Egypt has collectively detained thousands of refugees fleeing the war in Sudan and has deported them illegally." The rights organization noted that it "documented 12 incidents in which Egyptian authorities deported approximately 800 Sudanese between January and March of this year without granting them the opportunity to apply for asylum or appeal against deportation decisions."
It also detailed the arrest of 27 Sudanese refugees between October 2023 and March 2024, among whom 26 were part of the mass deportations. The organization explained that refugees are held in harsh and inhumane conditions before their expulsion. The total number of arrests and illegal deportations remains unclear due to the lack of available statistics.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees stated that Egypt deported thousands of refugees late last year, many of whom were Sudanese. Amnesty International mentioned that the National Council for Human Rights in Egypt rejected its findings regarding the increase in the number of arrests and deportations of Sudanese refugees, asserting in its response that Egyptian authorities respect international law.
The organization added that the arrests are part of a campaign that began in September 2023, during which plainclothes police conduct random searches of Sudanese individuals and arrest those without valid identification or residency permits. These searches frequently occur in Cairo and Giza, where a large number of Sudanese reside, as well as in Aswan in southern Egypt, where many Sudanese refugees stop on their way north.
