Thousands of Sudanese nationals in Egypt are facing growing hardship amid intensified security campaigns that have led to widespread arrests, detention and imprisonment, including of individuals holding UN refugee cards and valid Egyptian residency permits.
Sudanese residents in Cairo told Al-Sayha newspaper that men, women and children are being detained in what they described as the harshest crackdown yet, with authorities making no distinction between undocumented migrants and those residing legally.
They said large numbers of Sudanese detainees held in prisons and police stations are enduring a worsening, largely unseen humanitarian crisis. The situation, they added, is compounded by what they described as the Sudanese embassy’s silence in Cairo in the face of alleged abuses against its citizens.
“Your papers don’t protect you”
Sources cited by Al-Sayha said the security campaigns appear arbitrary and go beyond efforts to “regularise legal status,” with families of detainees reporting serious violations of international refugee protection standards.
Egyptian authorities have reportedly detained Sudanese nationals holding valid residency permits, with witnesses saying that residency documents no longer shield individuals from arrest. Some detainees were allegedly subjected to extortion, forced to pay large sums of money in exchange for release.
Sudanese residents said security officers have torn up UNHCR refugee cards—both yellow and blue—despite their status as internationally recognised protection documents. According to eyewitness accounts, the cards are routinely ignored and, in some cases, deliberately destroyed in front of their holders, leaving refugees suddenly without identification or legal protection and at risk of forced deportation.
Humanitarian considerations for vulnerable groups appear to have been largely absent during the arrests. Detention centres and prisons, already suffering from poor infrastructure, have become overcrowded with Sudanese war victims. Children are reportedly held in cramped cells, sleeping on the floor and deprived of basic needs, including adequate food and care.
Dire conditions
Witnesses said women and girls have been subjected to severe psychological distress and held in conditions that fail to preserve dignity or privacy, compounding trauma carried over from the war in Sudan.
Large numbers of elderly detainees, as well as people suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, are facing especially harsh conditions. Detention facilities reportedly lack even basic medical care and essential medicines, with detainees crammed into poorly ventilated spaces. Some described the situation as a “slow death sentence.”
Appeal to the international community
Thousands of Sudanese in Egypt have issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations and international organisations, warning that what is unfolding goes far beyond administrative measures to regulate foreign residency.
They called on the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which bears responsibility for protecting registered refugees, particularly cardholders, to intervene urgently, provide legal assistance, and ensure protection for Sudanese refugees facing detention, abuse and possible forced return.
