Egypt … An “alternative Sudan” for people fleeing war

In recent months, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have flocked to Egypt to flee their homeland due to the ongoing war. Egypt has transformed into an “alternative Sudan”, hosting over 5.5 million regular and irregular refugees.

“We live in an integrated Sudanese society in Egypt,” 33-year-old Musaab Hamdan told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Hamdan, a cleaner at a private company in the Mohandiseen neighborhood, said the country was a refuge for thousands of displaced people fleeing the war.

The Egyptian government estimates the number of Sudanese at around five million of the nine million refugees on Egyptian territory, while President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi calls them “guests of Egypt”.

The large influx of Sudanese since the outbreak of war in their country in 2023 has put pressure on the International Commission for Refugees in Cairo and Alexandria, which receives about 3,000 asylum applications a day. This has brought the number of Sudanese registered with the commission to 300,000 people, or 52 percent of the total number of refugees registered with the UNHCR in Egypt as of April.

Sudanese facial features and traditional dress are unmistakable on the streets of Cairo and Giza, where Sudanese traders and citizens can now be seen carrying out businesses that were reserved for Egyptians for decades, including driving taxis and small buses in popular neighborhoods. Hamdan said this reflects the new arrivals’ rapid integration into everyday life in Egypt.

Mohamed Abdel Majeed, a taxi driver in Giza, speaks the Egyptian dialect so fluently that many locals do not realize that he is from Sudan.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that he had become accustomed to driving on Cairo’s streets and now knew the names and locations of the stops by heart.

Alternative port

The strong presence of Sudanese in Egypt is being closely followed on social networks, with some videos addressing the idea of ​​an “alternative Sudan in the country”.

Among them was a comment from a Sudanese influencer who joked about the strong presence of his compatriots in the Faisal district of Giza: “If you are a Sudanese living abroad and want to see your family and your country, all you have to do is go to Giza in Egypt.”

Tens of thousands of Sudanese fleeing war in Sudan consider Egypt the “best place of refuge.” Fatima Hassan feared that her daughters would be “raped by armed militias in Sudan” and decided to enter Egypt illegally, she told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Extreme heat and thirst exhausted Fatima and her three daughters during the long journey before she managed to reach Giza and join her sister, who had preceded her there several months earlier.

Last month, authorities announced they had blocked buses carrying displaced Sudanese from entering the country illegally. However, Abdullah Qouni – who has lived in Cairo’s Maadi district for 15 years and helps many new refugees find housing or jobs – told Asharq Al-Awsat that about 11 buses leave Aswan for Egypt every day. He added that each illegal migrant pays about $500 to smugglers to get the ride.

Training

One of the most important features of the “Alternative Sudan” is the sight of dark-skinned students heading to special schools. Their numbers have been steadily increasing in recent months, forcing the Egyptian authorities to close some of them in order to “legalize” the situation.

Sami Al-Baqir, spokesman for the Sudanese teachers’ union, estimates the number of Sudanese schools in Egypt at about 300 primary and secondary schools.

The Sudanese Embassy in Cairo, which moved its headquarters from Garden City to the Dokki district years ago, thanked the Egyptian government for its cooperation in helping to ensure the successful conduct of the Sudanese primary school leaving examinations in June through six educational centers affiliated to the embassy.

At the academic level, Ayman Ashour, Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education, estimated that over 10,000 Sudanese students enrolled in Egyptian universities last year.

Egyptian sensitivities

The Sudanese jilbab dominates the streets and neighborhoods of Egypt, with videos of large gatherings of Sudanese in Cairo circulating on social media. In addition, there are reports of the eviction of Egyptian tenants who sought to house displaced Sudanese. Concerns about their presence in the country are growing.

In addition, news has emerged that some Sudanese families have had their daughters circumcised in Egypt, prompting activists to call on Egyptian authorities to enforce the law criminalizing female circumcision.

Egyptian media have also criticized the Sudanese presence. Qaswa Al-Khalali expressed “concern” about the presence of refugee clusters in busy areas and considered the matter “extremely dangerous.” Meanwhile, journalist Azza Mostafa warned that “some refugees could take control of entire areas in Cairo,” pointing to dire consequences for Egypt.

Egyptian parliamentarians responded to the call to legalize refugee status, including Siham Mostafa, a member of the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee. In televised speeches, she said: “Egypt hosts millions of foreigners and provides them with services at the same prices as citizens, without any increases, despite the current economic crisis.”

Reduce stress

Due to the economic crisis, Egypt has asked the international community for assistance in “bearing the burden of refugees.”

Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said after his meeting with International Organization for Migration Director General Amy Pope that the support Egypt receives from the international community is disproportionate to the burdens the country is bearing, especially as the Egyptian economy is suffering the consequences of global crises.

The Egyptian government has recently begun counting the number of refugees living on Egyptian territory to determine the cost of hosting them and the financial burden.

In a statement released in April, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Egypt requested $175.1 million to meet the most urgent needs of Sudanese refugees who have fled to Egypt since mid-April 2023.