Sudan deports 12,000 undocumented foreigners from Khartoum in 'control' campaign

Sudanese authorities have deported 12,000 undocumented foreigners from the capital, Khartoum, as part of a broader campaign to "control" the population. The detentions and deportations began after the army regained control of Khartoum in May from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

According to the Sudanese police spokesperson, Colonel Fath al Rahman, over 16,000 foreigners were detained during more than 456 inspection operations targeting illegal residents. Of those detained, 12,000 have been deported to their home countries, though the specific destinations were not disclosed. An additional 7,000 refugees have been relocated to camps outside Khartoum.

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more than 456 operations of inspection to detain the illegal residents, which has resulted in the detention of more than 16,000 foreigners who were not complying with the residency conditions.

The crackdown intensified following assertions that hundreds of refugees, particularly from South Sudan, had fought as mercenaries alongside the RSF during the conflict. The war between the Sudanese army and the RSF has had devastating consequences, with estimates of around 400,000 deaths, over 21.2 million people facing acute hunger, and approximately 14 million displaced, according to UN and U.S. figures.

Sudan hosts over a million refugees, primarily from South Sudan and the Horn of Africa, due to conflicts and economic hardship in their home countries. Many use Sudan as a transit point for irregular migration towards Europe, often traveling through Libya or Egypt.

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12,000 people of the 16,000 have already been deported to their countries of origin