Amnesty International has accused Egypt of mass arrests and illegal deportations of Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan.
A report released on Wednesday documented 12 incidents between January and March this year, with around 800 Sudanese nationals deported without the chance to seek asylum or contest the deportations.
The report also noted that 27 Sudanese refugees were arrested between October 2023 and March 2024, with 26 being part of these mass expulsions. These refugees were allegedly held in inhumane conditions before their deportation.
The exact numbers of arrests and deportations are unclear due to a lack of public statistics. The UN refugee agency reported thousands of deportations last year, many involving Sudanese nationals.
Egypt’s State Information Service has not responded to requests for comment, while Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights denies Amnesty’s claims, stating authorities comply with international law.
Arrests began in September 2023, with plainclothes police targeting Black individuals without valid identification in Cairo, Giza, and Aswan.
The Sudanese conflict, which began in April last year, has displaced over nine million people, with more than 500,000 crossing into Egypt. In response, Egypt suspended a visa-free entry treaty for Sudanese women, children, and older men, leading to tensions.
Amid a foreign currency shortage, many undocumented Africans have been detained in poor conditions and asked to pay fees in dollars to avoid deportation.
The European Union sees Egypt as crucial in preventing mass migration across the Mediterranean and recently announced a strategic partnership, supporting Egypt with 7.4 billion euros, partly due to migration concerns.