In the last three months, since May, there has been a noticeable increase in the arrests of Sudanese refugees in Egypt, especially in Cairo and some border cities like Aswan, Luxor, and Hala’ib and Shalatin. This has been accompanied by decisions for forced deportation, which have sparked widespread criticism from human rights organizations, raising questions about Cairo’s adherence to its obligations under the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
However, what has intensified the controversy is the leakage of information from Sudanese activists and political sources suggesting an unannounced agreement between Sudan’s Sovereign Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and some Egyptian security bodies. This agreement allegedly mandates the deportation of Sudanese youth from Egypt to be re-recruited into the Sudanese army, which has been engaged in an open war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) since 2023. This agreement, according to official sources, was made after al-Burhan’s visit to Cairo in early May, where he arranged security coordination with Egyptian authorities.
In light of the catastrophic armed conflict within Sudan, with large areas turning into destructive battlefields, the issue of forcibly deporting refugees back to this country raises growing international concerns. Testimonies from human rights sources inside Egypt and Sudanese refugees indicate that dozens – perhaps hundreds – of young men who were arrested in recent months are being subjected to pressure and deportation without any legal cover, facing an uncertain fate.
Cancer Prisoner: Sudanese Asylum Seeker Detained in Egypt
Since July 7, Egyptian authorities have detained 19-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker Nour Mahdi Mousa Adam, who is officially registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This detention comes despite his critical health condition, as he began treatment for a fourth-stage lymphoma, according to his family.
Nour’s arrest coincided with the first session of his chemotherapy, which he received just after arriving in Egypt, fleeing the ongoing war in his country and the collapse of the healthcare system there. This situation led him to submit an official asylum request, and he received an asylum card from the UNHCR valid until May 2026, as confirmed by his family to “Refugee Platform.”
Despite presenting full legal documentation, including the asylum card and medical reports proving his treatment, his family submitted the papers to the El-Tabiya police station in Giza governorate. The authorities continue to hold him and prevent him from receiving the second dose of his prescribed treatment, which was due on July 21. Moreover, his family was informed of a decision to forcibly deport him to Sudan, which clearly violates Egyptian law and international agreements that prohibit the forced return of asylum seekers.
However, the “Madad” human rights organization later reported that Nour Mahdi was released during the preparation of this report.
“Refugee Platform in Egypt,” a human rights entity monitoring the situation of refugees and asylum seekers, stated that Nour’s case is “not an isolated incident.” It represents “an extension of the widespread security campaigns” conducted by Egyptian authorities in the past two years, specifically targeting Sudanese refugees. These campaigns included arbitrary arrests from the streets and homes, detaining thousands without legal grounds, and deporting registered refugees, including children, sick individuals, and the elderly, some of whom died in detention.
In response, the “Platform” issued a statement calling on the Egyptian authorities for “the immediate and unconditional release of Nour Mahdi,” halting any deportation procedures against him, and ensuring he receives the urgent medical treatment he needs. It also called for an independent investigation into the circumstances of his detention and continued imprisonment, despite possessing legal and medical documents confirming his status as a patient and legal asylum seeker.
In addition, the platform issued a plea to the UNHCR for urgent intervention and legal follow-up, given that Nour is a registered asylum seeker under its care. The UNHCR holds the responsibility to ensure his protection and prevent his deportation or the endangerment of his life.
In a related development, eyewitnesses told “Zawia3” that scattered security campaigns were carried out in recent days in the Haram and Faisal areas of Giza, as well as in 6th of October City. These raids resulted in the arrest of dozens of Sudanese, including women and children. According to testimonies gathered, the arrests were sudden and occurred either inside residential apartments or while refugees were in the street or public transportation. Those detained were not informed of the reasons for their arrest nor allowed to contact their lawyers or families. Some witnesses indicated that the detainees were transferred to undisclosed detention sites before deportation procedures began, causing panic and fear among Sudanese refugees living in those areas, many of whom have been enduring difficult conditions since the war in Sudan erupted.
Nour Khalil, the director of the Refugee Platform, told “Zawia3” that the arrests of Sudanese refugees are part of a systematic pattern of arbitrary detention. He added: “We have documented, in just the past two weeks, the arrest of dozens of refugees in the Talbiya area on Faisal Street in Giza alone, including individuals holding official documents from UNHCR, who were detained in the station without allowing their lawyers to contact them.”
Khalil emphasized that some detainees faced violations such as mistreatment and being held in inhumane conditions. Moreover, the police refused to inform the families of their loved ones’ whereabouts. He stressed that the platform is increasingly concerned about what seems to be a systematic deportation policy against Sudanese asylum seekers, disregarding their health or legal status. He added, “There is a dangerous escalation that requires direct intervention from the UNHCR and human rights organizations to stop these violations before they escalate further.”
Rising Arrest Campaigns and Mysterious Deportations
Since January 2025, the Refugee Platform in Egypt has documented dozens of cases of Sudanese refugees being arrested. These cases involve both young people residing legally and others who do not have official documents, as well as patients who were receiving treatment in Cairo hospitals. Observers confirm that many of these arrests targeted individuals holding registration documents from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or those in a legally valid status within the country.
These practices are not new and were also documented by Amnesty International, which issued a statement in June 2024 warning of an “illegal mass arrest and deportation campaign” targeting Sudanese refugees. Amnesty confirmed that at least 800 Sudanese were forcibly deported in the first half of 2024. Unofficial estimates suggest that the number of deportations in the first quarter of 2025 alone has surpassed this figure, with deportations recorded from various districts of Greater Cairo, particularly in 6th of October City, Al-Obour, and Mokattam.
The Darfur Lawyers Association reported in November 2024 that Sudanese refugees were forcibly deported from Egypt, with many deportees suffering from malnutrition and illness. Some died after reaching Sudan. At that time, the Association held the UNHCR accountable for the humanitarian situation faced by these refugees.
In the same context, a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in July 2025 indicated that around 320,000 Sudanese had returned to their country since 2024, most of them from Egypt and South Sudan. The report pointed out that they returned to conflict zones suffering from the near-total collapse of infrastructure and public services, such as Khartoum, Sinnar, and Al-Jazeera.
Halim Hanesh, a consultant at the Refugee Platform, told Zawia3 that the platform has documented dozens of cases in which Sudanese refugees in Egypt were detained by security forces for various reasons. Some were arrested for lacking official residence documents, while others were arrested for criminal offenses. He clarified that the majority of those detained are subsequently deported, which the platform strongly rejects, especially given the current situation in Sudan.
Hanesh added, “Among the cases we have monitored recently is that of Mohamed Nour, who is receiving cancer treatment in Egypt. His family provided all the required documents to the police department, but there was no positive interaction from the authorities.” He considered this incident a reflection of the lack of humanitarian treatment for certain critical cases.
Hanesh pointed out that one of the platform’s main objections to forced deportations to Sudan and other countries like Eritrea is that many of those deported are later forced into compulsory recruitment. He highlighted that compulsory recruitment in Sudan still exists and sometimes targets people as old as 60, according to reports.
He continued, “Many of the refugees who fled to Egypt did so to escape being involved in the armed conflict, either in the army or militias. Some specifically fled with their young children, especially daughters, to prevent them from joining any armed group. However, with forced deportation, they become vulnerable to an unknown fate and to compulsory recruitment that may begin as soon as they arrive.”
Hanesh affirmed that the platform had previously published detailed reports on the dangers of forcibly returning Sudanese refugees to their home country amid the ongoing war. He stated that they intend to continue documenting these cases and providing necessary legal reports to prevent this process from continuing. He also called on the Egyptian authorities to adhere to their international commitments regarding refugee protection.
Deportation for Recruitment?
While the Egyptian authorities have remained officially silent, information shared by Sudanese activists suggests that the deportations may not just be a policy of strict immigration enforcement but a tool used to replenish the Sudanese army, which has been suffering from a manpower shortage more than a year into the war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Sudanese activist Mamoun Juha, one of the leading voices calling for an end to the war, confirmed in an interview with Zawia3 that “there is what he described as a ‘clear conspiracy’ led by Burhan, in coordination with the Sudanese ambassador in Cairo and Egyptian security officials, aiming to hand over young men fleeing the war to the Sudanese military institution to be thrown into the battlefronts.” He added, “Some of these deported individuals were cancer patients, others were homeless refugees, but the Sudanese regime decided to sacrifice them to reduce the cost of contracting foreign mercenaries such as the Tigrayans and Ethiopians.”
Juha goes further, accusing corruption networks linked to both the Egyptian and Sudanese armies of benefiting from these deals, especially since some of the deported individuals are being used in companies affiliated with the Sudanese military under the guise of recruitment.
In the same context, Sudanese researcher and human rights advocate Magdy Maken confirms that the primary reason behind the recent deportation campaigns of Sudanese from Egypt stems from an unspoken agreement between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Sudanese Sovereign Council President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. This agreement is primarily aimed at facilitating the deportation of Sudanese youth to Sudan in preparation for their enlistment in the Sudanese army, given the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
Maken explained in an interview with Zawia3 that the war in Sudan requires a continuous human resource supply, which has become difficult for the Sudanese army due to a declining response from the public to calls for mobilization and recruitment across various regions, including Darfur, Kordofan, central, northern, and eastern Sudan. He added, “The Sudanese army is facing a severe shortage of human resources, which led it to seek alternative sources, and this agreement was seen as a practical solution from its perspective.”
According to Maken, the plan has already begun. Every Sudanese youth residing in Egypt, regardless of their legal status or humanitarian conditions, is now at risk of arrest and forced deportation. He clarified that this approach is not merely a security measure but is supported by interest groups within Egypt’s security and intelligence agencies that have direct economic interests with companies affiliated with both the Egyptian and Sudanese armies.
Maken concluded by noting that numerous official complaints have already been documented and submitted to the United Nations and other international institutions, yet the response so far remains “weak and disproportionate to the scale of the ongoing violations.”
In May 2025, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan visited Cairo in what was described as an “entirely security-focused” visit. He met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Egyptian security leaders. Although the official statement focused on “joint security coordination and border control,” the timing of the visit, coinciding with an increase in the arrest rate of Sudanese, raised the likelihood of deportation being aimed at forcing participation in the fighting.
Sources from the diplomatic community spoke to international media outlets about the possibility of an undeclared security protocol that would involve returning undocumented or “wanted” Sudanese back to Khartoum. Although this has been officially denied, it continues to be a reality on the ground through ongoing deportations.
The Recruitment System in Sudan
The Sudanese army relies on a compulsory conscription system, especially in the context of the ongoing war, where the state of emergency allows for the drafting of young people between the ages of 18 and 40, even without their consent. Military authorities also resort to forced conscription at times, particularly in conflict zones or in cases involving refugees who are deported from abroad.
In June 2023, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, launched a popular mobilization called “People’s Resistance,” which is officially a voluntary recruitment initiative aimed at protecting land and property. However, reports indicate that this mobilization has involved pressure on youth, including those in conflict-affected areas, to join the armed forces or allied militias.
International reports reveal that the number of forcibly conscripted soldiers in Sudan has increased by 30% since the war began, especially with a decline in volunteer numbers and civilians fleeing to neighboring countries.
In reality, Sudan has become an open battlefield, particularly in the states of Darfur, Khartoum, and Kordofan, where daily battles are being fought between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. The war has caused the displacement of over 10 million Sudanese, according to UN reports, in addition to the collapse of the healthcare system and disruption of supplies in many areas.
Deporting young people to Sudan at this time exposes their lives to direct danger or forces them to participate in a war they do not want. According to testimonies from relatives of the deported individuals, some of them were sent directly to military training camps without returning to their homes or contacting their families.
Egypt’s Stance on International Refugee Law: Unanswered Questions
According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, which Egypt has signed, no refugee shall be returned to a country where they may face danger or persecution. However, the recent actions of Egyptian authorities contradict these commitments, especially in light of the absence of a genuine asylum application assessment or an appeals process for deportation decisions.
International human rights organizations argue that these actions represent a “flagrant violation of the principle of non-refoulement,” warning that Egypt could lose the trust of the international community unless it clarifies its position or immediately halts these practices.
As of the end of March 2025, the number of refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Egypt was around 942,000 individuals, representing more than 60 different nationalities. Sudanese nationals top the list, followed by Syrians, Eritreans, Ethiopians, South Sudanese, Somalis, Yemenis, and Iraqis. Most of these refugees live in urban areas such as Greater Cairo and Alexandria, where the majority rely on humanitarian aid due to economic challenges and difficulty accessing the formal labor market.
The United Nations defines a refugee as someone who has been forced to leave their country due to circumstances such as war, violence, or persecution, and is unable to return or fears doing so. The 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention defines a refugee as “a person who is outside their country of origin or habitual residence due to a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, and who is unable or unwilling to seek the protection of that country or return to it due to that fear.”
Since the onset of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023, more than 1.5 million Sudanese have fled to Egypt, according to estimates from the UNHCR and the Egyptian government. However, Egypt’s increased security measures, including raids on foreign nationals’ residences, have heightened the risk of deportation, especially for those who do not possess valid residence documents.
In May 2023, Egypt imposed entry visas on all Sudanese nationals, prompting many to resort to unofficial crossing points, exposing them to the risk of arrest and deportation. Reports suggest that the long waiting period for registration with the UNHCR (which can take up to a year) increases the vulnerability of Sudanese refugees to deportation, as they do not receive protective documents in a timely manner.
As pressures mount on Egypt regarding its refugee policy, the government faces accusations of breaching its humanitarian obligations and colluding in political-military deals that put the lives of Sudanese youth at risk. With a lack of transparency and the silencing of refugee voices, it has become crucial to fully open this case and hold the concerned parties accountable for the fate of those caught between war, repression, and forced deportation.
