{"id":23283,"date":"2025-12-04T16:40:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rpegy.org\/?post_type=editions&#038;p=23283"},"modified":"2026-01-24T02:45:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T00:45:54","slug":"exclusive-egypt-ramps-up-sudanese-refugee-deportations-with-little-unhcr-pushback","status":"publish","type":"editions","link":"https:\/\/seta.rpegy.org\/en\/editions\/exclusive-egypt-ramps-up-sudanese-refugee-deportations-with-little-unhcr-pushback\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: Egypt ramps up Sudanese refugee deportations with little UNHCR pushback"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.readmore-box {<br \/>  border-radius: 6px;<br \/>  background: #e7e7e7; \/* \u0627\u0644\u062e\u0644\u0641\u064a\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u063a\u0645\u0642 *\/<br \/>  padding: 0;<br \/>  margin: 25px 0;<br \/>  border: 1px solid #d0d0d0;<br \/>}<\/p>\n<p>.readmore-box summary {<br \/>  cursor: pointer;<br \/>  padding: 15px 18px;<br \/>  font-weight: 600;<br \/>  list-style: none;<br \/>  display: flex;<br \/>  align-items: center;<br \/>  background: #e7e7e7;<br \/>  border-radius: 6px;<br \/>}<\/p>\n<p>.readmore-box summary::-webkit-details-marker {<br \/>  display: none;<br \/>}<\/p>\n<p>.readmore-box summary::before {<br \/>  content: \"\u25b8\";<br \/>  margin-right: 10px;<br \/>  font-size: 18px;<br \/>  color: #b03a2e;<br \/>  transition: transform 0.25s ease;<br \/>}<\/p>\n<p>.readmore-box[open] summary::before {<br \/>  transform: rotate(90deg);<br \/>}<\/p>\n<p>.readmore-content {<br \/>  padding: 20px;<br \/>  background: #dadada; \/* \u0623\u063a\u0645\u0642 \u0639\u0646\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0641\u062a\u062d *\/<br \/>  border-radius: 0 0 6px 6px;<br \/>}<br \/><\/style>\n<div class=\"article__notes\">\n<div class=\"article__author-note js-readmore\">\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em><strong>About this investigation:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0In April 2024, The New Humanitarian and the Refugees Platform in Egypt revealed that the Egyptian government was carrying out large-scale illegal deportations of Sudanese refugees back to a war zone, using a network of hidden detention sites. This follow-up investigation, based on more than a year of additional reporting, documents how the deportation campaign has intensified and spread into cities, and examines growing criticism of UNHCR\u2019s limited and muted response.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span class=\"article__author-location\">CAIRO<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"field-name-body flow\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Deportations of Sudanese refugees escaping the world\u2019s largest humanitarian crisis for safety in neighbouring Egypt have accelerated over the past 12 months, escalating a campaign of repression that was exposed in a joint investigation by The New Humanitarian and the Refugees Platform in Egypt last year.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Critics say the UN\u2019s refugee agency (UNHCR) \u2013\u00a0the main international organisation in Egypt mandated to protect and advocate for refugees \u2013\u00a0has failed to mount a sustained challenge to the crackdown, arguing that it prioritises preserving relations with the government over defending refugee rights.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201c[Security forces] threatened me, my wife, even my family by phone and in the street,\u201d said Osman Yaqoub Mansur, who left Darfur for Egypt more than a decade ago and later founded the African Vision School for Sudanese Education, a grassroots initiative in Cairo that gave classes to Sudanese children and adults, including refugees.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Mansur said authorities raided his premises last summer, and detained him on false accusations that he had taught students that land disputed between Sudan and Egypt belonged to Sudan. He said he contacted UNHCR but was told simply to \u201ckeep moving\u201d as threats forced him to shift from place to place across the capital.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Some 1.5 million Sudanese have crossed into Egypt since the outbreak of the more than two-and-a-half-year war between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. But the refugees, among 11.5 million displaced by the still-escalating conflict, have faced scapegoating from politicians amid a deepening economic crisis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-element-container\">\n<figure class=\"media-wysiwyg media-wysiwyg--default\">\n<div class=\"wysiwyg__image\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-lightbox-image=\"\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_large\/public\/2025-12\/MapSudanMigration00.jpg.webp?itok=4qxSBK_d\" data-aspect-ratio=\"aspect-ratio: 1350 \/ 1080\"><img data-dominant-color=\"efe7e9\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #efe7e9;\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-23285 size-full not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/rpegy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MapSudanMigration00.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1350\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/seta.rpegy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MapSudanMigration00.webp 1350w, https:\/\/seta.rpegy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MapSudanMigration00-300x240.webp 300w, https:\/\/seta.rpegy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MapSudanMigration00-1024x819.webp 1024w, https:\/\/seta.rpegy.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MapSudanMigration00-768x614.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-lightbox-image=\"\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_large\/public\/2025-12\/MapSudanMigration00.jpg.webp?itok=4qxSBK_d\" data-aspect-ratio=\"aspect-ratio: 1350 \/ 1080\">\n<div class=\"dialog-off-canvas-main-canvas\" data-off-canvas-main-canvas=\"\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"block-tnh-content\">\n<article id=\"node-264260\" class=\"node node--type-article node--promoted node--view-mode-full clearfix article\" data-theme=\"theme-conflict\">\n<section class=\"article__bulk\">\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__body\" data-drupal-annotations=\"[]\">\n<div class=\"field-name-body flow\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Last year\u2019s investigation\u00a0<strong><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenewhumanitarian.org\/investigations\/2024\/04\/25\/exclusive-inside-egypt-secret-scheme-detain-deport-thousands-sudan-refugees\">revealed that large-scale illegal deportations of thousands of Sudanese<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>were secretly being carried out in violation of international refugee conventions that Egypt had long ratified. The investigation exposed the locations of the squalid facilities where security services were detaining people.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Follow-up reporting \u2013 based on newly obtained material from local refugee organisations, leaked Egyptian government documents, and testimonies from dozens of refugees and lawyers gathered over more than a year \u2013 reveals a further escalation in the deportation campaign.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Far more refugees are now being detained and deported, with security services carrying out sweeps and stops not only in border areas where people enter the country but deep inside major cities. Authorities have also targeted refugee-led initiatives, including by shutting down dozens of Sudanese-run schools.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The crackdown comes as the EU has pledged large sums to Egypt in exchange for it curbing migration to Europe \u2013 a deal mirroring<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>\u00a0<a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenewhumanitarian.org\/analysis\/2023\/10\/19\/eu-doubling-down-deadly-failed-migration-strategy\">similar agreements<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>with other transit countries, and which risks making the bloc complicit in abuses by the Egyptian government, which did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">UNHCR receives substantial funding from European governments, which critics say creates political pressure on the agency to avoid publicly criticising Egypt\u2019s deportations and other policies that increase refugees\u2019 vulnerability and limit the UN\u2019s ability to support them.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Other sources accused UNHCR of being directly compromised by Egyptian security services. They said the agency\u2019s operations were subject to pressure that led some staff members to bury refugee complaints or prevent reports of arrests and deportations from being escalated.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said donors are critical to sustaining the agency\u2019s activities, but its work \u201cis guided by the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence\u201d. He said the agency \u201cregularly engages\u201d with Egyptian authorities to raise concerns on violations affecting refugees.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cGiven the ongoing brutal conflict in Sudan, UNHCR believes that people forced to flee Sudan are likely to be in need of international protection and, as such, should not be forcibly returned to their country,\u201d Baloch said.<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">A \u201crecord number\u201d of deportations<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Even before the current war and displacement crisis, Sudanese and other refugee groups in Egypt faced deportations and other abuses by security services, including arrests and, in some cases, killings.<\/p>\n<details style=\"border-radius: 6px; background: #f4f2ee; padding: 0; margin: 25px 0; border: 1px solid #e0ded8;\">\n<summary style=\"cursor: pointer; padding: 15px 18px; font-weight: 600; list-style: none; display: flex; align-items: center;\"><span style=\"color: #c65329; font-size: 18px; margin-right: 10px;\">\u276f<\/span><br \/>\nRead more: Refugee protests and security crackdowns<\/summary>\n<div style=\"padding: 20px; background: #e8e4dd; border-radius: 0 0 6px 6px;\">\n<p>For two decades, refugee protests in Egypt have been met with police raids, arbitrary detention, criminal charges, disappearances, and deportations. Here is a timeline of some of the worst incidents:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2005:<\/strong> Some 3,000 Sudanese refugees staged a sit-in outside UNHCR\u2019s office in Cairo. Egyptian police violently cleared the camp, leaving dozens dead and many arrested or missing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2019:<\/strong> Dozens of Eritrean refugees gathered at a UNHCR office in 6th of October city to demand action on long registration waits and deportation risks. Security forces fired tear gas and detained dozens. Five community representatives were later prosecuted, with families reporting a lack of action from UNHCR.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2020:<\/strong> After the killing of 12-year-old Mohamed Hassan, Sudanese refugees held condolence gatherings and small protests. Security forces raided both sites, used tear gas, and arrested dozens of community members. The child\u2019s father was detained, beaten, and forcibly disappeared for two days before being released. Ten Sudanese community leaders \u2013 called to a police station by a lawyer contracted by UNHCR \u2013 were detained and later convicted for protests they said they did not attend.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2023:<\/strong> Chadian refugee and rights defender Djasnan Alfred Camus was kidnapped after his organisation published a social media post about a planned demonstration outside a UNHCR office. He was held incommunicado before being forcibly deported to Rwanda.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">However, deportations began surging in late 2023, ahead of the Egypt-EU agreement and amid increased Sudanese arrivals. The trend then accelerated further after the adoption last year of Egypt\u2019s first national asylum law. Though not yet fully implemented, sources said it emboldened authorities by granting them wide latitude to revoke refugee protections on vague grounds such as respect for undefined Egyptian values.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Accurate numbers of deportations are difficult to determine as the government does not give the UN and other humanitarian actors access to detention centres and border areas, and because it does not share any of its own data. Still, snapshots from local organisations supporting refugees hint at the scale of the crackdown.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In the first three months of this year, one prominent local refugee advocacy organisation reported a \u201crecord number\u201d of deportations in an internal research document shared with reporters. Like many sources in this story, the group\u2019s director requested anonymity \u2013\u00a0for both themselves and the organisation \u2013 due to the risk of government reprisals.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In total, the organisation documented over 850 deportations of mostly Sudanese refugees \u2013 already over half the 1,546 it recorded in all of 2024, a number that itself represents a fraction of the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eipr.org\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/pdf\/the_collapse_of_egypt_s_protection_for_refugees_rpe-eipr.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more than 20,000<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Sudanese refugees likely deported last year.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The case archive of the Refugees Platform in Egypt, which includes incidents reported to it by refugees and lawyers, documented the detention of 687 Sudanese asylum seekers between April and August in three main areas \u2013 Greater Cairo, Alexandria, and Matrouh \u2013 and a further 1,560 who were detained and deported since August.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-element-container\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<figure class=\"media-wysiwyg media-wysiwyg--default\">\n<div class=\"wysiwyg__image\" data-lightbox-image=\"\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_large\/public\/2025-12\/05.jpeg.webp?itok=OOU52Qfv\" data-aspect-ratio=\"aspect-ratio: 720 \/ 960\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.thenewhumanitarian.org\/s3fs-public\/2025-12\/05.jpeg\" alt=\"05.jpeg\" width=\"720\" height=\"960\" data-lightbox-initialized=\"true\" data-lightbox-behavior=\"true\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wysiwyg__caption\">An internal list issued by Egypt\u2019s passport and immigration authority on 30 September 2025 records 24 Sudanese nationals transferred from prison custody for deportation procedures.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Reporters also gathered visual evidence of arrests and deportations. One geolocated and verified video shows a uniformed officer with a stick confronting refugees outside a UNHCR building in Cairo. Others show security forces carrying out arrests at police checkpoints and in residential areas.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Two Egyptian security officials\u00a0described how deportations have become routine. One officer from Greater Cairo said his police station deports around 200 people weekly, while another said over 2,000 Sudanese are transferred weekly from police stations in Cairo to Aswan, a town near the Sudan border.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">One Egyptian human rights activist described the scale of deportations as \u201cunprecedented\u201d in Egypt&#8217;s recent history, while a senior official at an international NGO said refugee protection is \u201cshrinking by the day\u201d, trapping families between impossible choices: \u201cEndure detention and deportation, or risk their lives trying to reach Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Legal protections erased<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Most refugees who spoke to reporters said they were detained and deported for lacking a valid residency permit \u2013 a legal requirement that applies to all foreign nationals but which is difficult to meet for refugees because the government has massive registration backlogs, with some appointments pushed to 2029.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-element-container\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<figure class=\"media-wysiwyg media-wysiwyg--default\">\n<div class=\"wysiwyg__image\" data-lightbox-image=\"\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_large\/public\/2025-12\/03.jpeg.webp?itok=pKw_1k7P\" data-aspect-ratio=\"aspect-ratio: 1170 \/ 597\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.thenewhumanitarian.org\/s3fs-public\/2025-12\/03.jpeg\" alt=\"An appointment slip directs a Sudanese refugee to Egyptian authorities to apply for residency, but the date is set for March 2028. Application backlogs have left many refugees without legal status and at risk of detention and deportation.\" width=\"1170\" height=\"597\" data-lightbox-initialized=\"true\" data-lightbox-behavior=\"true\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wysiwyg__caption\">An appointment slip directs a Sudanese refugee to Egyptian authorities to apply for residency, but the date is set for March 2028. Application backlogs have left many refugees without legal status and at risk of detention and deportation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Refugees said they were also arrested and deported despite having UNHCR documents, which should protect them against refoulement. Some even described instances in which Egyptian authorities confiscated their cards at the time of arrest, thereby stripping them of proof of their protected status.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">One government document obtained by reporters ordered the deportation of six mostly Sudanese refugees, four of whom were registered with UNHCR. The document instructed authorities to confiscate the UNHCR cards and ensure the refugees signed declarations affirming their \u201cvoluntary\u201d departure.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">While the confiscation of UNHCR cards and coerced \u201cvoluntary returns\u201d have long been flagged by human rights groups in Egypt, the fact that it is recorded here in an official government document may indicate that these are not isolated abuses but part of a broader strategy.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cIt is a systematic effort to erase their legal protections,\u201d said a lawyer for a local refugee organisation who has worked on deportation cases in Egypt for over a decade. \u201cOnce the documents are taken, it becomes almost impossible for them to defend their right to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The director of the local refugee advocacy organisation said the situation has deteriorated because of the \u201cblank check\u201d\u00a0<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/RegData\/etudes\/ATAG\/2024\/760406\/EPRS_ATA(2024)760406_EN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the EU has provided<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>to Cairo to curb irregular migration. They said the partnership has \u201cgiven the Egyptian authorities complete freedom to violate their international obligations\u201d.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The agreement may also have proved counterproductive, as the worsening environment for refugees has driven onward movement of Sudanese\u00a0<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globaldetentionproject.org\/urgent-appeal-growing-threats-to-refugees-in-egypt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to Libya<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. While some remain there,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/egypts-crackdown-drives-sudanese-refugees-new-route-libya-beyond-2025-06-11\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reports suggest<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0the number travelling to Europe jumped significantly in the first months of 2025.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">During this period, hundreds of Sudanese attempting to reach Libya were also arrested, with detainees and their lawyers describing to reporters severe overcrowding; being held for months without due process, healthcare, and access to asylum; and ultimately being deported to Sudan.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">One internal document from Egypt\u2019s ministry of interior showed that nearly 200 Sudanese, including women and children, were deported from Matrouh, a northern town near Libya, in a single day in September. Lawyers confirmed that such deportations occur regularly and likely involve far higher numbers.<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Community leaders and children targeted<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Last year\u2019s investigation focused on refugees detained along the border after entering Egypt irregularly \u2013\u00a0necessary because visas take months to obtain \u2013\u00a0and while travelling onwards to Cairo. The latest cases show how the crackdown has spread into cities, with arrests at police checkpoints, metro stations, and in residential areas.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">One Sudanese refugee said she was arrested in Cairo in January after police took her UNHCR document, leaving her without proof of status. Lacking residency papers, she said she was taken to a detention centre, where officers falsified her file to claim she had been caught near the border with no documents at all.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In January, authorities also deported a 17-year-old Sudanese boy who had registered with UNHCR and was living in Giza, according to a case shared by the refugee advocacy organisation. He was arrested on his way home from school for lacking a residency permit. His deportation five days later separated him from his parents.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-element-container\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<figure class=\"media-wysiwyg media-wysiwyg--default\">\n<div class=\"wysiwyg__image\" data-lightbox-image=\"\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_large\/public\/2025-12\/01.jpeg.webp?itok=UYsTZQKU\" data-aspect-ratio=\"aspect-ratio: 732 \/ 962\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.thenewhumanitarian.org\/s3fs-public\/2025-12\/01.jpeg\" alt=\"01\" width=\"732\" height=\"962\" data-lightbox-initialized=\"true\" data-lightbox-behavior=\"true\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wysiwyg__caption\">A leaked government document instructs authorities to coordinate the deportation of two Eritrean women and four Sudanese nationals, and ban their re-entry into Egypt. The document has been redacted to protect the identity of the refugees involved.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In another recent incident, also shared by the refugee advocacy organisation, a 15-year-old Sudanese boy, who had lived in Egypt since infancy, was detained and deported after being arrested with a group of students who were celebrating their school graduation in a Cairo park. Despite at least two of them being Sudanese nationals, all were deported to South Sudan.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Sudanese refugee institutions have also been targeted. According to research from the refugee advocacy organisation, Egyptian authorities ordered at least 46 Sudanese community schools to close last year, oftentimes confiscating furniture, books, and other resources. Closures have continued this year, according to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/aawsat.com\/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A\/5183667-%D8%A3%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A5%D8%BA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%B2-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">local media reports.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Refugee community leaders from Sudan and elsewhere \u2013\u00a0none of whom can be named due to the risk of reprisals \u2013\u00a0told reporters they are increasingly being targeted by security services, and pressured to inform on fellow refugees under the threat of detention or deportation.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cWe were arrested without any legal process and threatened with deportation if we refused to report on our communities,\u201d said one leader who was detained in January in the Greater Cairo area. \u201cWe had no choice: Either betray our communities or face violations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Four other refugee leaders said they were recently summoned by national security officers \u2013\u00a0in some cases by the same individual \u2013 to report on developments within their communities, such as activist activities, initiatives, and planned gatherings.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The community leaders said they also get questioned following the publication of human rights reports or media articles about refugee issues \u2013\u00a0particularly if there was suspicion they had contributed to or been in contact with the journalist or organisation involved.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cSometimes they summon me to the office or the police station,\u201d said one Sudanese community leader. \u201cOther times, they demand that I write a report about a specific incident. If I don\u2019t respond to their calls, they send threatening messages to my phone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">One phone call was shared by a community leader with reporters. In it, a national security officer questioned the leader about a recent community initiative \u2013 asking who was running it, whether it received donations, and what services were provided to the community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<details style=\"border-radius: 6px; background: #f4f2ee; padding: 0; margin: 25px 0; border: 1px solid #e0ded8;\">\n<summary style=\"cursor: pointer; padding: 15px 18px; font-weight: 600; list-style: none; display: flex; align-items: center;\"><span style=\"color: #c65329; font-size: 18px; margin-right: 10px;\">\u276f<\/span><br \/>\nRead more: Other refugee communities targeted<\/summary>\n<div style=\"padding: 20px; background: #e8e4dd; border-radius: 0 0 6px 6px;\">\n<p>Although Sudanese make up the majority of those being deported, other nationalities have been caught up in recent crackdowns \u2013 having also endured longer-standing patterns of arrest and expulsion.<\/p>\n<p>In February, a 16-year-old Eritrean girl \u2013 registered with UNHCR \u2013 was deported following nearly five months in detention because she lacked residency papers. During her detention, she was taken to the Eritrean embassy and pressured to sign documents consenting to her deportation, which she refused.<\/p>\n<p>Denied medical care despite developing a gastric illness and skin condition, she said she finally agreed to the deportation in desperation to access treatment. According to her family, she was hospitalised upon arrival in Eritrea.<\/p>\n<p>In February, Egyptian authorities also deported a South Sudanese asylum seeker who had been arrested for not having residency papers. The woman, registered with UNHCR, said she was the sole caregiver for her three-year-old daughter and two younger siblings, all listed as dependents on her asylum file.<\/p>\n<p>Reporters also spoke with a 19-year-old UNHCR-registered South Sudanese refugee who was deported to Sudan in February. Arrested in Cairo, his father presented both his UNHCR card and South Sudanese passport to authorities. Nonetheless, he was transferred to the Sudanese embassy just two days later for deportation processing.<\/p>\n<p>The young man said he was beaten repeatedly while in custody and was forced to sign a consent form under threat of further violence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the border, I told them I was Sudanese because I was terrified of being detained again,\u201d he said. \u201cThe only document I had was the travel paper issued by the Sudanese embassy, saying I was Sudanese.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__body\" data-drupal-annotations=\"[]\">\n<div class=\"field-name-body flow\">\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Weak data and accusations of bribery<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">UNHCR has faced criticism from refugees, lawyers, and civil society groups over its response to the deportations, though many acknowledged that it operates under significant constraints.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Egyptian authorities, for example, deny it access to detention centres and border areas, which make it \u201ceffectively blind\u201d, according to a former UNHCR Egypt staff member. \u201cThey don\u2019t know who\u2019s being detained or deported until after it happens,\u201d they said. \u201cTheir capacity to intervene is almost non-existent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The director of the refugee advocacy organisation described UNHCR&#8217;s data on forced returns as \u201cvery weak\u201d. In an interview earlier this year, they said information gathered by the agency indicated deportations were declining \u2013 which was the opposite of what many others had documented.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">UNHCR\u2019s limited presence along Egypt\u2019s border with Sudan means it has no system for registering refugees on arrival, leaving many vulnerable to detention as they travel to the agency\u2019s sole registration office in Cairo. Reporters documented numerous cases of refugees being arrested en route.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-element-container\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<figure class=\"media-wysiwyg media-wysiwyg--default\">\n<div class=\"wysiwyg__image\" data-lightbox-image=\"\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_large\/public\/2025-12\/05.jpeg.webp?itok=OOU52Qfv\" data-aspect-ratio=\"aspect-ratio: 720 \/ 960\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.thenewhumanitarian.org\/s3fs-public\/2025-12\/05.jpeg\" alt=\"05.jpeg\" width=\"720\" height=\"960\" data-lightbox-initialized=\"true\" data-lightbox-behavior=\"true\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wysiwyg__caption\">An internal list issued by Egypt\u2019s passport and immigration authority on 30 September 2025 records 24 Sudanese nationals transferred from prison custody for deportation procedures.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Overwhelmed by demand, the Cairo\u00a0registration centre has struggled to keep up with the needs of new arrivals, especially\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.almasryalyoum.com\/news\/details\/4136053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">as\u00a0two other centres<\/a>\u00a0have recently closed due to funding cuts. Some applicants in 2024 and 2025 were given appointments as far off as 2026, according to two appointment splits shared with reporters.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The former UNHCR Egypt staff member, who worked in various positions, described growing internal frustration. \u201cRefugees would come to me desperate for answers, and I had nothing to offer,\u201d they said. \u201cIt got to a point where I started to feel like they resented me. I asked myself, why am I even here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Several sources said registration delays have fuelled a black market: Refugees with money pay a network of middlemen with alleged connections to staff working for UNHCR to take earlier appointments bought off other asylum seekers.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">One refugee community leader said bribery outside the UNHCR office \u201chappens daily and in plain sight of the police\u201d. They accused UNHCR of inaction, beyond issuing \u201cgeneral caution statements\u201d advising refugees not to pay for slots.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Baloch, the UNHCR spokesperson, said protecting refugees from exploitation and ensuring the integrity of the agency\u2019s programmes are \u201ckey priorities\u201d. He said UNHCR works with partners and communities \u201ccontinuously\u201d to raise awareness of fraud risks\u00a0and remind refugees that all UNHCR services are free of charge.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Baloch added that funding for UNHCR operations in Egypt declined sharply this year, but that the agency has been \u201cworking hard to scale up its registration capacity and to introduce online solutions\u201d. He said the waiting period for registration has been reduced from nine to ten months in 2024 to four to five in 2025.<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">A \u201ctoothless\u201d response from UNHCR<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Many other sources said that, even accounting for the constraints it faces, UNHCR\u2019s delivery of its core protection duties \u2014 such as intervening with authorities on behalf of threatened refugees and providing timely legal support \u2014 has not been good enough.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cEven when refugees are detained or deported, the system remains opaque, the protection mechanisms are toothless, and those most at risk \u2013 like Sudanese \u2013 are left without support,\u201d said another long-time refugee lawyer.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">An Eritrean community leader, who has lived in Egypt for more than 10 years, said they typically receive \u201cno response\u201d when they pass on arrest and deportation reports from community members. \u201cThe community gets angry at us and holds us responsible,\u201d the individual said. \u201cUNHCR has put us in a very difficult position.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Hassan Abdullah, also a Sudanese refugee, said he emailed UNHCR after receiving death threats from an Egyptian man following a dispute over money a few years ago. Forty days later, his 12-year-old son was killed in what he said was a direct escalation of the same dispute. Hassan said the legal aid he received from UNHCR was ineffective and that no protective measures such as relocation support were offered until well after the incident.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Mansur, who ran the Sudanese community school, said that after being arrested on 1 July, his family emailed UNHCR. He said the agency replied on 9 July, acknowledging receipt and noting its team was aware of the case. A more substantive response came on 29 July, by which time he had already been processed for deportation, without seeing a lawyer. His deportation document \u2013 obtained as part of this investigation but normally kept secret \u2013\u00a0instructed Sudanese authorities to facilitate emergency travel documents for his expulsion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-element-container\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<figure class=\"media-wysiwyg media-wysiwyg--default\">\n<div class=\"wysiwyg__image\" data-lightbox-image=\"\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_large\/public\/2025-12\/02.png.webp?itok=dc5oXdZd\" data-aspect-ratio=\"aspect-ratio: 1080 \/ 1324\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.thenewhumanitarian.org\/s3fs-public\/2025-12\/02.png\" alt=\"An emergency travel document issued by the Sudanese embassy in Cairo to facilitate the deportation from Egypt of Osman Yaqoub Mansur, a Sudanese national and UNHCR-registered refugee.\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1324\" data-lightbox-initialized=\"true\" data-lightbox-behavior=\"true\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wysiwyg__caption\">An emergency travel document issued by the Sudanese embassy in Cairo to facilitate the deportation from Egypt of Osman Yaqoub Mansur, a Sudanese national and UNHCR-registered refugee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Mansur also alleged that members of his family repeatedly contacted a specific UNHCR staff member, who assured them the case would be handled. But when they later followed up internally, they were told there was no record of any of these messages. \u201cHe just says, \u2018I\u2019ll handle the problem,\u2019 and doesn\u2019t record anything officially,\u201d Mansur said.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">A well-placed current UNHCR Egypt staff member alleged that security services have infiltrated the agency and that this influence results in cases being left unaddressed. They said some colleagues, acting under pressure, have urged others to drop reports of arrests or blocked sensitive complaints about government abuse from being escalated internally.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The whistleblower said the same staff members have also monitored refugee community leaders, flagging those who raise complaints or organise around refugee issues. They said some of these individuals have later been detained for alleged visa violations or security concerns.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Other refugees, lawyers, and human rights activists also described fears that UNHCR\u2019s operations have been infiltrated by security services \u2013 a problem that sources said affects many international organisations in Egypt \u2013 citing cases where refugees were arrested shortly after visiting UNHCR offices.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">One refugee activist said he attended a UNHCR-organised meeting in Cairo in 2021, and the next day received a call from an intelligence officer, who frequently contacted him, requesting a meeting at a security headquarters.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cI was shocked to discover that he knew everything we had discussed, as if he had been present among us,\u201d the community leader said. \u201cThis exposed me to threats from him because my intervention during this meeting was sharp against the Egyptian government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Reporters asked UNHCR to respond to accusations that its Egypt office is being influenced by security services, and to the allegations that some staff buried reports of arrests, but the spokesperson did not address these points directly.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cWhen UNHCR receives information about the possible arrest, detention, or deportation of people who may be in need of international protection, it follows up with the Egyptian authorities and advocates for due process in line with international refugee and human rights law,\u201d Baloch said.<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\">Staying silent<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Many sources accused UNHCR Egypt of not publicly criticising the deportations and standing up to the Egyptian government, with some arguing that its silence amounts to a form of collusion.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cThe system is becoming more organised and aggressive,\u201d said the lawyer who has worked on deportation cases for over a decade. \u201cBy staying silent on clear violations of asylum law, UNHCR isn\u2019t just neglecting its mandate \u2013 it\u2019s becoming complicit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">An analysis by reporters of UNHCR Egypt\u2019s public communications over the past two years found no references to deportations in dozens of updates on its activities regarding Sudanese refugees, nor in its annual reports.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In an interview with the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.almasryalyoum.com\/news\/details\/4136053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">l<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>ast month<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>,<\/strong><\/span> senior UNHCR official Ruvendrini Menikdiwela said Egypt had been \u201cremarkable in its handling\u201d of refugee populations and in allowing them to live in its cities and towns. She made no mention of the mass deportations.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cBy staying silent on clear violations of asylum law, UNHCR isn\u2019t just neglecting its mandate \u2013 it\u2019s becoming complicit.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Menikdiwela also described Egypt\u2019s new asylum law as \u201cextremely important\u201d and an \u201cexcellent initiative\u201d, even though UNHCR\u2019s\u00a0<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.refworld.org\/legal\/natlegcomments\/unhcr\/2025\/en\/150248\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">own formal comments<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>on the legislation noted that it does not explicitly incorporate the principle of non-refoulement in line with its obligations under refugee conventions.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The asylum law will see the government take over responsibility for registering asylum seekers and determining refugee status from UNHCR, but critics say it opens the door to refoulement by granting authorities sweeping powers to revoke status and deport people on vague grounds.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">UNHCR Egypt\u2019s office has for several years supported the law\u2019s development \u2013\u00a0through\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/eg\/news\/unhcr-egypt-s-ministry-foreign-affairs-sanremo-institute-organize-three-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>capacity-building<\/strong> <strong>workshops<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/eg\/news\/unhcr-egyptian-ministry-foreign-affairs-organize-workshop-asylum-law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">roundtables<\/a>,<\/strong><\/span> and currently through working on a\u00a0<span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #003366;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/eg\/news\/press-releases\/unhcr-warns-number-registered-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-egypt-tops-1-million\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">five-year transition plan<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Ashraf Milad, a prominent asylum lawyer in Egypt, questioned whether the agency should have supported the process given they know \u201cfull well the extent of the violations committed by Egyptian authorities\u201d.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Jeff Crisp \u2013 an expert on refugee issues, and a former senior UNHCR official \u2013 said the Egypt country office is cautious about speaking out on the deportations and the asylum law &#8220;because to do so might jeopardise its relationship with the authorities and thereby threaten its access and operations\u201d.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Crisp said the organisation&#8217;s dependence on funding from the EU and European states also stops them making more forthright statements, given these states are committing billions of euros to Cairo in exchange for the government curtailing migration to Europe.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Like UNHCR, the EU has provided limited criticism of Egyptian policies, though it has privately acknowledged that the asylum law does not meet international standards, according to notes from a meeting earlier this year between EU officials and Egyptian civil society groups shared with reporters.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">One EU official said at the meeting that the bloc had asked to see the draft law in advance but was denied access. Still, the official said the new law would not stop cooperation with Cairo, noting that \u201cwe have to accept the reality of what kind of government we have in Egypt\u201d.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Accepting that reality will be much harder for refugees like Mansur, who was deported earlier this year and had his grassroots schooling initiative closed down by the government. \u201cThey erased everything I built,\u201d he said. \u201cNow the children are left with nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>Edited by Philip Kleinfeld.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About this investigation:\u00a0In April 2024, The New Humanitarian and the Refugees Platform in Egypt revealed that the Egyptian government was carrying out large-scale illegal deportations of Sudanese refugees back to a war zone, using a network of hidden detention sites. This follow-up investigation, based on more than a year of additional reporting, documents how the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":23284,"template":"","meta":{"editions-author":[],"pdf-attach":"https:\/\/www.eipr.org\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/pdf\/the_collapse_of_egypt_s_protection_for_refugees_rpe-eipr.pdf, https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/RegData\/etudes\/ATAG\/2024\/760406\/EPRS_ATA(2024)760406_EN.pdf","map":"6GXV+3R Giza, Egypt"},"editions_tags":[],"editions_categories":[1826,1827],"class_list":["post-23283","editions","type-editions","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","editions_categories-investigations","editions_categories-reports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>EXCLUSIVE: Egypt ramps up Sudanese refugee deportations with little UNHCR pushback - \u0645\u0646\u0635\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0627\u062c\u0626\u064a\u0646 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