Sudanese Refugees Flee Egypt for Europe as 1.3 Million Face Arrests, Racism and Deportations
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 26
Sudanese Refugees Flee Egypt for Europe as 1.3 Million Face Arrests, Racism and Deportations
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 26
Growing numbers of Sudanese refugees in Cairo are preparing to leave Egypt for Europe or, less often, return to Sudan, saying conditions have become intolerable.
1.3 million Sudanese live in Cairo after fleeing Sudan’s 2023 war, but many now report racism, arbitrary arrests, detention over missing papers and deportations without checks on risk of harm.
Libya routes remain deadly: one 26-year-old refugee said smugglers kidnapped his group of 22 for seven months after a boat attempt to Italy, and his closest friend died.
Housing and work pressures deepen the push to leave, with refugees saying rent consumes most aid and informal jobs expose them to underpayment and threats of being reported to authorities.
Sudan’s war has killed at least 150,000 people and displaced about 4.5 million, turning Egypt from a refuge into a waypoint in a wider migration crisis.
With aid failing and Egypt cracking down, is the deadly sea crossing the only hope for Sudanese refugees?
Sudan's war is the world's worst crisis. Why is international support for its 11.6 million displaced people failing?
Sudan’s Displacement Crisis: 4 Million Refugees in Egypt Confront Humanitarian Gaps and Rights Abuses
Overview
Since the civil war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, the country has faced a rapid collapse of public infrastructure and a massive humanitarian catastrophe. This conflict quickly became the world’s largest and fastest-growing displacement crisis, forcing an estimated 12 million people from their homes by July 2025. Among them, 7.7 million are internally displaced, with more than half being children, and 4.1 million have sought safety outside Sudan. The violence has claimed 150,000 lives, and the mass flight of people highlights the severe impact of the war on Sudanese society and neighboring countries like Egypt.