SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters - Egypt unlawfully deported Sudanese refugees, rights group says

19/6/2024: Reuters - Egypt unlawfully deported Sudanese refugees, rights group says

Reuters report that Egypt has carried out mass arrests and unlawful deportations of thousands of refugees fleeing the war in Sudan, Amnesty International said in a report.

More than 500,000 people, or about 24% of the total who have left Sudan, have crossed to Egypt, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Arrivals led to occasional tensions, with some Egyptians blaming Sudanese and other foreigners for pushing up rental prices, and Egyptian TV commentators citing the "burden" of millions of migrants at a time of high inflation and economic pressures.

After Egypt's foreign currency shortage worsened last year many Africans arrested for not having valid papers were held in squalid conditions and asked to pay fees in dollars to avoid deportation, according to lawyers and witnesses.

European states see Egypt as playing an important role in preventing mass migration across the Mediterranean.