Effective immediately, Egypt has tightened its visa requirements for citizens of neighboring Sudan, who have been caught in a violent conflict since mid-April.
The announcement by Egyptian authorities states that all Sudanese nationals must obtain a visa before crossing the border into Egypt. This move comes after approximately 200,000 Sudanese individuals entered Egypt, primarily through land crossings, following the outbreak of fighting between rival Sudanese generals.
Previously, Egypt had exempted Sudanese women of all ages, children under 16, and individuals over 50 from the visa requirement.
However, the new regulations aim to crack down on illegal activities, including fraud, by implementing visa procedures.
The Egyptian foreign ministry emphasized that the objective is not to prevent or limit the entry of Sudanese citizens but rather to prevent the forging of entry visas by individuals and groups on the Sudanese side of the border for personal gain.
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The conflict in Sudan has been characterized by intense battles between the regular army, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Burhan’s former deputy.
The violence has resulted in a death toll surpassing 1,800 people, with countless others displaced. The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration estimates that nearly 2 million Sudanese individuals have been displaced, with 476,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
Egypt’s foreign ministry affirmed that it had welcomed over 200,000 Sudanese citizens since the crisis began, adding to the approximately 5 million Sudanese already residing in Egypt prior to the conflict.
The ministry assured that consulates in Sudan have been equipped with the necessary technology to ensure a precise, rapid, and secure implementation of the new regulations, guaranteeing the orderly entry of Sudanese citizens into Egypt.
