Cairo, 5 November 2020 – One hundred and fifty Sudanese migrants returned home to Khartoum from Cairo on 5 November, on a charter flight facilitated by IOM Egypt under its CARE II project that is funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. 

At the onset of the pandemic, many migrants found themselves stranded and unable to return home, due to the government-imposed travel restrictions and airspace closures.

Egypt is a country of transit for migrants from a range of African countries, mostly in West Africa, whose ultimate goal is to get to Libya and Europe. Sudanese citizens make up significant numbers, with an estimated 3,8m nationals living in Egypt. Among the 150 Sudanese migrants were 49 minors, as well as elderly and others who needed medical attention and medical escorts throughout the journey.

The charter flight from Cairo to Khartoum was organized in close coordination with the Sudanese Embassy in Egypt, IOM in Sudan, the Secretariate for Sudanese Working Abroad (SSWA), and support was provided to migrants upon their return home by the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration. 

Various units within IOM Egypt facilitated this trip; including the operations unit with logistics, the medical health division, which played a critical role in providing pre-departure screenings, PCR tests, as well as the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) unit, which escorted applicants to the Department of Passports, Immigration and Nationality to prepare their paperwork for travel.

In the days preceding the flight, IOM Egypt assisted the migrants to prepare for their return. They attended orientation sessions and were provided with a travel allowance, care packages, and information on the available assistance to support their reintegration in Sudan. 

Upon arrival, the migrants were received by IOM Sudan staff, who also supported them with the rest of the journey to their communities of origin. They were also provided with mobile phones and SIM cards, national health insurance membership for themselves and their families, as well as psychosocial support.

For more information, please contact Wigdan Mohamad at IOM Egypt, Tel: +20 1012 428 527, Email: wimohamad@iom.int