Egypt toughens approach to Sudanese migrants, cracking down on illegal migration

Egypt is hardening its stance on migration, particularly with Sudanese, the country’s largest group at more than four million, as the government campaigns to regulate the nine million foreigners who live there.

Egypt has always been a magnet for migrants and refugees, hosting hundreds of thousands of Arabs, Sub-Saharan Africans and Europeans fleeing war, colonialism or persecution over the years.

Recently, Iraqis, Syrians and Yemenis have flocked to Egypt to escape conflict in their countries. In the 14 months since the outbreak of war in Sudan between the army and a powerful paramilitary group, more than a million Sudanese are estimated to have arrived in Egypt.

According to UN agencies, the war in Sudan has displaced more than eight million people, of whom about two million have sought refuge in neighboring countries, mainly Egypt, Chad and South Sudan.

Of the million people who have reached Egypt, an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 entered the country illegally, undertaking a dangerous journey through the desert for which smugglers charge 300,000 Sudanese pounds (about $500) per person, migrants say.

Dozens have died of heatstroke or thirst during the journey — which is mostly done in the back of pickup trucks with no shelter from the sun or sand. The difficulty of obtaining visas to enter Egypt prompted them to take this route.

In recent weeks, Egypt has deported hundreds of Sudanese migrants who entered the country illegally.

In Cairo neighborhoods where large numbers of Sudanese live, police stop them on the street to check whether their immigration papers are in order.

Anyone who cannot prove legal residence is arrested and deported. This practice forces many people to stay at home and only leave when necessary.

Authorities have also closed several Sudanese schools in Cairo due to lack of permits or because their premises do not meet health and safety requirements. Similarly, unlicensed grocery stores or cafes serving Sudanese food and goods have been closed.

The deadline set by Egyptian authorities for foreigners to legalize their immigration status expired on July 1, raising concerns in the Sudanese community about a drastic tightening of the repression against illegal residents.

On social media, Egyptians have criticized the presence of Sudanese in some Cairo neighborhoods, blaming them for soaring housing rents and shaming them for benefiting from state subsidies for basic goods and services.

Milad Hanna, a lawyer specializing in migrant issues, says the plight of Sudanese in Egypt is exacerbated by the waiting period – which can sometimes last several months – before they can go to an office of the UN refugee agency or a national immigration office to regularize their status.

About 200,000 Sudanese are on a waiting list to register as refugees or asylum seekers with the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, Mr. Hanna said. He also said he did not approve of police stopping people on the streets and arresting those whose residence permits had expired.

“This campaign looks set to last,” he said. “Demands for proof of valid residence or a visa should only be made in cases of public order disruption or flagrant violations of the law.”

Nasser Mohammed Nasser says he, his wife and three children illegally crossed the border into Egypt last year after waiting in vain for months for an Egyptian visa. The family began their journey in the northern Sudanese city of Wadi Halfa and arrived in Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city, three days later.

“We have registered with the UNHCR in Cairo, but we are still afraid to leave our home because we have heard so many stories of Sudanese being arrested on the street and deported.

“We lost everything we had in Khartoum. As Sudanese, Egypt is the country closest to our hearts. We are emotionally connected to Egypt through language, religion and shared history. Life is difficult here, but it is much more difficult in Sudan,” he said.

Egypt and Sudan have had close social, economic and cultural ties dating back to pharaonic times. The two nations in northeastern Africa were one until 1956, when Sudan voted for self-determination following the end of Anglo-Egyptian rule.

Sudan’s secession, however, did not break the close ties between the two Nile Basin countries, and the introduction of visa-free travel between them strengthened their ties.

However, the two countries have an unresolved border dispute that occasionally surfaces and strains relations. In addition, some Sudanese, especially leftist and nationalist politicians, are outraged by what they see as Egypt’s continued interference in their country’s affairs.

Osman Al Mirghani, a prominent Sudanese newspaper publisher and analyst now based in Cairo, suspects that the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organization fighting the Sudanese army, may be behind the social media campaign targeting Sudanese people in Egypt.

“It is very damaging to relationships and it comes at a very sensitive time,” Mr Al Mirghani said. “Most Sudanese prefer Egypt to other places in the region or the West.

“After coming here, they realized that relations between Egypt and Sudan are much better than they previously thought,” said Mr Al Mirghani, who has been living in Cairo since 2023.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi often refers to foreigners living in Egypt as “our guests” and often boasts that, unlike other parts of the region, his country allows migrants to work and live alongside Egyptians rather than keeping them in camps.

Securing a six-month stay in Egypt costs Sudanese the equivalent of $25.

However, the Egyptian leader recently spoke about the costs of hosting such a large community of foreign residents, which may have unwittingly fueled xenophobia at a time when most Egyptians are struggling to make ends meet in the face of a devastating economic crisis.

Last month, Mr El Sisi said hosting foreigners in Egypt costs the state $10 billion a year. They use 4.5 billion cubic metres of water a year, he added, referring to Egypt, which has one of the world’s lowest levels of freshwater per capita, at 500 cubic metres a year.

But some Sudanese, such as Cairo-based businessman Yasser Abdallah, believe Egypt remains the only country outside their homeland where he and his compatriots feel comfortable.

“Many of us behave chaotically and sometimes forget that we are not in Sudan,” he said. “Every non-Egyptian here is treated like a foreigner, except us. On the border with Egypt, the Egyptians treat us better than the Sudanese on our side of the border.”

Some Sudanese, however, have reported minor acts of racially motivated violence by Egyptians against members of their community. They say, however, that these are isolated incidents, not a trend.

Updated: 02 Jul 2024, 15:26