{"id":53062,"date":"2025-08-19T04:10:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T01:10:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/?p=53062"},"modified":"2025-08-19T04:10:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T01:10:56","slug":"high-demand-for-voluntary-return-of-sudanese-amid-egyptian-facilitation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/19\/high-demand-for-voluntary-return-of-sudanese-amid-egyptian-facilitation\/","title":{"rendered":"High Demand for Voluntary Return of Sudanese Amid Egyptian Facilitation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sudan Events \u2013 Agencies<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Egyptian government has expanded its support for Sudanese citizens seeking voluntary return to their homeland, announcing the operation of two weekly trains instead of one to transport returnees from Cairo to Aswan in southern Egypt. From there, buses carry them on to various Sudanese cities, according to Sudan\u2019s Consul in Aswan, Abdel Qader Abdullah.<\/p>\n

Abdullah told Asharq Al-Awsat that \u201cthe fifth train of the initiative arrived in Aswan on Monday, after departing Cairo on Sunday, while a second train this week will depart Cairo on Wednesday and reach Aswan on Thursday. This schedule will continue in the coming weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ongoing conflict in Sudan\u2014pitting the Sudanese army against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since mid-April 2023\u2014has forced millions to flee their homes, both inside and outside the country. Around 1.5 million Sudanese have entered Egypt, according to official statistics.<\/p>\n

In coordination with Sudan\u2019s Defense Industries System, the Egyptian government launched a new mechanism for voluntary repatriation on July 21. The plan includes a free weekly train from Ramses Station in central Cairo to Aswan. Each train carries up to 1,000 passengers, marking a significant development compared to the earlier reliance on buses, each of which accommodates about 50 passengers. The initiative also aims to protect Sudanese returnees from scams related to travel arrangements.<\/p>\n

Following the departure of the fifth train on Sunday, the Egyptian National Railways Authority announced that, \u201cdue to the growing demand for participation in the voluntary return initiative, the Authority, in coordination with Sudanese counterparts, is preparing to operate additional trips in the coming period, meeting the needs of our Sudanese brothers and sisters. The initiative stands as a model of humanitarian solidarity and cooperation at both official and popular levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

Consul Abdullah expressed gratitude to the Egyptian government for \u201cproviding trains despite the crowded rail schedule, and for treating Sudanese as Egyptians in ticket pricing.\u201d He clarified that travelers pay nothing, as the Defense Industries System covers the full cost of return.<\/p>\n

Upon arrival in Aswan, the Sudanese consulate, with the help of volunteers, organizes returnees onto buses that take them across the border into Sudan. \u201cAround 40 buses depart daily to Sudan, each carrying about 50 passengers, except on Fridays when the border is closed,\u201d Abdullah said.<\/p>\n

According to official data, 323,386 Sudanese have returned by land between January 2024 and August 13 of this year. Abdullah estimated that \u201cthose returning via Aswan by land represent about one-third of the Sudanese who entered Egypt after the war. The overall number is higher, as some return by air while others move on to different countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside the official repatriation effort, numerous grassroots initiatives are also at work, including the campaign \u201cReturning to the Land of the Kindhearted,\u201d which has helped thousands return over the past months, according to campaign coordinator Abdel Nasser Hassan Jaafar. \u201cWe still have long waiting lists,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Jaafar explained that the campaign \u201cruns three buses weekly, some of them free of charge for families unable to cover costs. Demand is high, especially from residents of Khartoum, Omdurman, Bahri, and central Sudan around Wad Madani.\u201d He noted that \u201cseveral campaigns are operating alongside ours, while the train initiative has marked a turning point in the numbers of returnees.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Egyptian Railways Authority said it has \u201censured all necessary facilities and comfort for passengers, including reception procedures at stations, support teams to assist the elderly, safe and comfortable travel conditions on board, and the addition of a carriage for luggage and personal belongings.\u201d<\/p>\n

A number of Sudanese citizens expressed their appreciation for \u201cthe efforts made, the smooth organization, and the facilitations provided throughout their journey\u2014from reception at the station to the train ride itself.\u201d They emphasized that \u201cthe spirit of brotherhood and solidarity they felt from Egyptians, from their arrival until their departure, will remain deeply etched in their hearts,\u201d according to the Authority\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sudan Events \u2013 Agencies The Egyptian government has expanded its support for Sudanese citizens seeking voluntary return to their homeland, announcing the operation of two weekly trains instead of one to transport returnees from Cairo to Aswan in southern Egypt. From there, buses carry them on to various Sudanese cities, according to Sudan\u2019s Consul in …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53062"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53068,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53062\/revisions\/53068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}