MADAD monitors daily arrests of Sudanese refugees in Egypt, warns against rumours

An Egyptian refugee support group says Sudanese refugees and migrants in Egypt are facing a steady rise in arrests, with women, young people and the elderly increasingly affected.

Shaimaa Sami, founder and programme coordinator of the Egyptian MADAD initiative, speaking in an interview with Radio Dabanga today, said that the organisation records an average of five to ten arrests of Sudanese refugees and migrants every day. She said the current pattern differs markedly from that seen over the past two years.

Sami confirmed that MADAD has documented one death among detainees in recent days. She linked the death to a failure by detention authorities to take account of detainees’ health conditions and advanced age. In response, she said, the initiative has prioritised rapid legal intervention for elderly detainees.

Sami also said MADAD received information indicating a reversal in Egypt’s entry fee policy. After a period of reduced costs, security permit fees to enter Egypt have reportedly risen again to between USD2000-USD2500 per person, including infants. She described the move as part of broader efforts to curb the entry of Sudanese migrants or to pressure those already in Egypt to return to Sudan.

According to Sami, authorities release some detainees within days, or even on the same day, once their documents are corrected or their legal status clarified. Other cases, however, remain in prolonged detention, particularly those involving refugees whose residency has expired but who have submitted official renewal applications and remain in legal limbo.

Sami firmly rejected claims circulating on social media that two Sudanese girls died of starvation in Cairo after their mother was arrested and deported to Sudan. She said no documentation or credible source supports the story and described it as “illogical”. She warned that rumours and sensationalist reporting pose a serious danger, exacerbating fear and insecurity among Sudanese communities in Egypt.

She urged media outlets and social media users to verify information before sharing it, stressing that misinformation has a direct and damaging impact on an already vulnerable population.

In context

The UNHCR estimates at least 1.5 million people have fled to Egypt since the outbreak of war in Sudan, making Sudanese the largest refugee population in the country. As of April 2025, 691,000 Sudanese are registered with the agency.

Radio Dabanga previously reported that thousands of Sudanese refugees were being detained by Egyptian authorities in a network of secret military bases and then deported back to their war-torn country, often without the chance to claim asylum.

For further reading, see our deep dive on how bureaucratic challenges in Egypt have made seeking asylum “nearly impossible” for thousands of Sudanese, as well as the perilous conditions facing people attempting to cross the border illegally into Egypt.