Egypt is toughening its stance on migration, specifically targeting the Sudanese – who, at more than four million, are by far the largest single group in the country – in a government campaign to regulate the stay of nine million foreign residents.
Egypt has historically been a magnet for migrants and refugees, taking in hundreds of thousands of Arabs, sub-Saharan Africans and Europeans fleeing wars, colonial rule or persecution over the years.
More recently, Iraqis, Syrians and Yemenis arrived in Egypt in droves to escape conflict in their respective countries. In the 14 months since war broke out in Sudan between the army and a powerful paramilitary, more than one million Sudanese are estimated to have come to Egypt.
The war in Sudan has displaced more than eight million people, of whom about two million have sought refuge in neighbouring nations, mainly Egypt, Chad and South Sudan, according to figures from UN agencies.
Of the estimated one million who went to Egypt, between 500,000 and 600,000 are thought to have illegally crossed into the country, making the perilous journey across the desert with smugglers charging 300,000 Sudanese pounds (about $500) per person, according to migrants.
Scores have perished from heat stroke or thirst during the journey – which is mostly made in the back of pickup lorries without any cover to shield them from the sun or sand. The difficulty of obtaining a visa to enter Egypt has pushed them to take this route.
In recent weeks, Egypt has deported hundreds of Sudanese migrants who entered the country illegally.
In districts of Cairo where the Sudanese are known to live in large numbers, police stop them on the street to check their immigration documents are in order.
Anyone who cannot prove legal residence is arrested and deported, a practice that has forced many to stay home and venture out only when necessary.
Several Sudanese schools in Cairo have also been shut down by authorities for not having permits or because the premises are said to not meet health and safety requirements. Similarly, unlicensed food stores or cafes serving Sudanese food and goods have also been closed.
A deadline given by Egyptian authorities to foreign nationals to legalise their immigration status expired on July 1, raising concern among the Sudanese community of a dramatic intensification of the crackdown on illegal residents.
On social media, Egyptians are criticising the presence of the Sudanese in some Cairo districts, blaming them for soaring apartment rents and shaming them for taking advantage of state subsidies on basic items and services.
Milad Hanna, a rights lawyer specialising in migrants’ affairs, says the predicament of the Sudanese in Egypt has been worsened by the waiting period – which sometimes can be months – before they can visit a UN refugee agency bureau or state immigration office to regulate their status.
About 200,000 Sudanese are on the waiting list to register as refugees or asylum applicants with the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, Mr Hanna said. He also said he disapproves of police stopping people on the streets and arresting those whose residence permits have expired.
“This campaign looks like it will last a long time,” he said. “Demanding to see proof of valid residence or visa should only be done in the case of a public disturbance or cases of blatant lawbreaking.”
Nasser Mohammed Nasser says he, his wife and three children crossed illegally into Egypt last year after months of waiting in vain for an Egyptian visa. The family began the journey in Sudan’s northern city of Wadi Halfa and arrived in Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city, three days later.
“We registered with UNHCR in Cairo but we are still afraid to leave our home after we heard so many stories about Sudanese getting arrested on the street and deported.
“We lost everything we had in Khartoum. As Sudanese, Egypt is the closest country to our heart. We are emotionally attached to Egypt through language, religion and common history. Life is tough here, but it’s much tougher back in Sudan,” he said.
Egypt and Sudan have had close social, economic and cultural ties dating back to Pharaonic times. The two nations in north-east Africa were one nation until 1956, when Sudan voted for self-determination at the end of Anglo-Egyptian rule.
Sudan's secession, however, has not broken the two Nile-basin nations' close ties, with visa-free travel between the two nations cementing their bonds.
However, the two countries have an unresolved border dispute that occasionally surfaces and sours relations. Moreover, some Sudanese, especially leftist and nationalist politicians, are resentful of what they see as Egypt’s constant meddling in the affairs of their country.
Osman Al Mirghani, a prominent Sudanese newspaper publisher and analyst who now lives in Cairo, suspects that the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary fighting the army in Sudan, may be behind the social media campaign against Sudanese in Egypt.
“It has a very destructive effect on relations and it comes at a very sensitive time,” Mr Al Mirghani said. “The majority of Sudanese prefer Egypt over anywhere else in the region or in the West.
“They have realised after coming to live here that relations between Egypt and Sudan are much better than they had previously thought,” said Mr Al Mirghani, who has lived in Cairo since 2023.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi makes a point of calling foreign residents in Egypt “our guests” and often boasts that, unlike elsewhere in the region, his country allows migrants to work and live alongside Egyptians, and does not keep them in camps.
It costs the Sudanese the equivalent of $25 to secure a six-month stay in Egypt.
However, the Egyptian leader has recently talked about the cost of hosting such a large community of foreign residents. That, in turn, may have inadvertently fuelled xenophobia at a time when most Egyptians are struggling to make ends meet amid a grinding economic crisis.
Last month, Mr El Sisi said hosting foreign nationals in Egypt costs the treasury $10 billion annually. They consume 4.5 billion cubic meters of water per year, he added, alluding to Egypt having one of the world’s lowest per capita shares of fresh water at 500 cubic metres a year.
However, some Sudanese people, such as Cairo-based businessman Yasser Abdallah, are convinced that Egypt remains the only country apart from home where he and his compatriots feel comfortable.
“Many of us behave randomly and sometimes forget that we are not in Sudan,” he said. “Every non-Egyptian here is treated as a foreigner except us. On the border with Egypt, the Egyptians treat us better than the Sudanese do on our side of the border.”
However, some Sudanese report racially motivated, minor acts of violence by Egyptians against members of their community, but they insist they remain isolated incidents rather than a trend.
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
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England squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Ben White
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse
Forwards: Tammy Abraham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Raheem Sterling
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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