Hundreds of Syrians illegally enter to Egypt from Sudan as Cairo refuses to grant visa
Translation by Yusra Ahmed
CAIRO (Eqtsad)- In mid 2013, the Egyptian government has enforced an entry visa for Syrian people in order to be able to enter Egypt. Syrians subsequently, were forced to buy these kinds of visa at high costs because usually no more than 5% of visa application via ordinary way can get the agreement.
During past years, all the human organizations and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cairo, were unsuccessful in reaching an agreement with the Egyptian authority about reuniting the Syrian families living in Egypt.
As a result of all these obstacles, many Syrian living in Egypt started bringing their families to the country through Sudan, despite the high risk, because it is much cheaper than buying a visa.
in 2014-2015, The number of Syrians who entered Egypt via Sudan was relatively low at 50 persons per a month or two at most, however, recently the numbers have significantly increased according to UNHCR figures, at which Syrians need to register their names as refugees to obtain the yellow card, that protects Syrian refugees from deportation or arresting for illegal residence in Egypt.
The trip from Sudan to Egypt has become difficult and dangerous, because of the increasing number of Syrians who started using this way via desert and by human trafficking groups, who take chance of Syrians' needs and suffering.
People who use Sudan as an access to Egypt mainly old, which increase their risk of dying, besides the possibility of being killed by the Egyptian boarders’ guards.
The cost of entering Egypt via Sudan is relatively low and does not exceed $500-$700m but it is dangerous and many lost their lives according to eyewitnesses who reported these cases to “Eqtsad.”
The increasing numbers of Syrians coming via Sudan to Egypt has put new burdens on them, especially the security campaigns and raids on Syrians to ensure their legal entry and residency in the country and the increase pressure in the social solidarity and people started to feel overstretched from hosting more newly coming people.
Despite UNHCR’s efforts to legalise the situation and residency of Syrian people in Egypt, but lots of them suffer of poverty, illness and risk of deportation.
Still, risk of death is the main threat faces Syrians who took the way via Sudan to enter Egypt as a result of car accidents, clashes among smugglers and human traffickers or with boarders’ guards, but it seamsthat people who had chosen that way prefer to die at the Sudanese-Egyptian boarders rather than staying in Syria under al-Assad rule.
Eqtsad is Zaman al-Wasl's business news site.
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