Status report on the period between April 22nd and April 26th, 2023.

In light of the severe inconsistency and spread of false and unverified information, as well as the lack of official data clarifying the procedures and conditions for entry and crossing through the Egyptian-Sudanese land crossings, here we provide a summary of the information that the RPE monitored directly about crossing to Egypt from the Sudanese side by land:

• Since the 23rd of April morning, the number of displaced Sudanese and non-Sudanese individuals towards the Egyptian border has increased in an attempt to cross to the Egyptian side via land ports.
• The border authorities allowed women, children, and men under 16 and over 50 years of age to cross, provided they had a valid passport for more than 6 months and yellow fever vaccination cards. The crossing is permitted by receiving an entry stamp upon arrival at the Egyptian side and paying a fee of 25 USD.
• The authorities allowed the passage of holders of British, American, and Gulf countries passports, and people with domicile in any of these countries, without the requirement for a prior entrance visa.
• According to the reports of individuals who crossed into Egyptian land, they waited at the crossings for significant periods of time, ranging from 10 hours to a whole day.
• Border authorities asked those holding Qatari residency to issue a transit visa.
• Men aged 16 to 50 with valid passports for more than six months are required to obtain a previous entrance visa. The visa is obtained and issued by the Egyptian Consular Office in Wadi Halfa, which was closed for Eid al-Fitr.
• People in Wadi Halfa reported visa procedures being extended for days.
• The border authorities did not allow women, children, and men under 16 and over 50 years of age to cross unless they had a valid passport for more than 6 months and yellow fever vaccination cards.
• News is circulating regarding a purported Sudanese decision to renew expired passports or those with less than six months remaining validity at border crossings. Additionally, the decision allegedly includes adding children under sixteen who do not possess passports onto the passports of their relatives. While the RPE has viewed a scanned copy of an official document, its authenticity has not been verified yet.
• In light of the widespread dissemination of inaccurate information, the Refugees Platform in Egypt issued an urgent statement on April 23, calling on Egyptian authorities to announce the extent to which Sudanese nationality holders are allowed to enter Egypt, how it is done, and the conditions required to cross into or through Egypt.
• The Egyptian Ministry of Transport stated that the total returnees from Sudan of all nationalities through the Egyptian land crossings during the period from April 12–25, 2023, were 1297 returnees via Qastal land port and 8897 returnees through Arqin border crossing, with a total of 10,000 and 194 people, respectively, without an explanation of the procedures and types of cases that were allowed to cross or the extent to which services are provided during waiting times at the border crossings. The statement did not refer to any of the current procedures or future dealing plans.
• There is no clear information or official statements about how and to what degree Syrian and Palestinian nationals residing in Sudan are permitted to cross.
• The External Relations Officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Egypt, Christine Beshay, told the Spanish News Agency that they are “in talks with the Sudanese community in Egypt to continue verification and identify the needs and support that society and the Egyptian government need to manage any influx of asylum seekers.” She also said UNHCR does not have “exact numbers” of how many people have arrived in Egypt and is currently verifying received cases.