Egyptian human rights network criticizes its countrys decision to require Sudanese nationals to obtain entry visas
News Report - Exclusive - Moatinoon
The Egyptian Network for Human Rights expressed deep regret for the decision taken by the Egyptian authorities regarding the prohibition of Sudanese brothers from entering Egyptian territory without obtaining a prior visa from the Egyptian Consulate in Wadi Halfa or the Egyptian Consulate in Port Sudan, starting from June 10th.
The network believes that the decision is a spark that could ignite a multi-dimensional humanitarian catastrophe, considering the tragic conditions caused by the ongoing war in Sudan. This war has forced thousands of families to flee north towards Egypt in order to reach a safe haven that protects them from the woes they have suffered in the past period. Some of them fled on their own with their families without carrying personal belongings or identification documents.
The Egyptian network stated that the Sudanese Ministry of Transportations directive, which requires travelers entering Egypt through land border crossings to obtain a prior entry visa from the Egyptian Consulate, further complicates the travel of those fleeing from the war, making the task of traveling nearly impossible. This is due to the congestion of land crossings with thousands of travelers during the period preceding the decision, which poses a new burden on the Sudanese refugee file in Egypt. The estimated number of Sudanese refugees in Egypt before the ongoing civil war reached around 58,000, according to the UN Refugee Agency, making them the second-largest population of foreign refugees in Egypt after Syrian refugees.
The Egyptian network views the recent decision as conflicting with international agreements concerning refugees and fleeing to neighboring countries during times of war and disasters. It also represents a violation of the Four Freedoms Agreement signed between Egypt and Sudan in 2004, which was published in the Official Gazette on September 9th, 2004. The agreement guarantees mutual freedom of movement, work, and residence without restrictions for the citizens of both countries, in addition to the freedom to own land and properties. Although the Egyptian government has placed some obstacles to its implementation in the past, it should work to remove all barriers and difficulties for the Sudanese brothers.
The network called for a reconsideration of this decision, which represents a rupture in the historical relations between the two brotherly countries and contradicts the fundamental principles of human rights and the international agreements signed by Egypt, as well as the bilateral agreements between Egypt and Sudan. These agreements represent a natural extension and strategic depth that requires strengthening relations with Sudan and preserving the inherited bonds with its people, who have remained historically connected to the Egyptian people throughout the ages.
Some parties in Egypt attribute the decision to security reasons related to the return of elements of the Al-Bashir regime to the scene and the release of prisoners from the largest correctional and penal institutions in Sudan due to the events of the April 15th, 2023 war.
In this context, Imad Gad, former member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Egyptian Parliament, mentioned that the decision was made after confirming the return of elements of the Al-Bashir regime to play influential roles in the ongoing war in Sudan.
Sudanese individuals affected by the decision commented that official figures from the previous regime have been residing in Egypt since its fall, raising doubts about the reason behind the decision.
Gad speculated that the measures would be relaxed for women, children, and the elderly, while the scrutiny would be focused on individuals of military age. He affirmed that these are security measures for the crisis in this exceptional circumstance, and they should only be viewed from this perspective, as announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without affecting the essence of the Four Freedoms Agreement in normal conditions.
Meanwhile, a significant number of Sudanese individuals under the age of fifty have become stranded at border crossings before and after this decision, and many families have been separated, unable to be reunited, with no practical mechanism to verify the backgrounds of Sudanese visa applicants entering Egypt.
