Egypt operates first train facilitating voluntary return of Sudanese migrants

CAIRO – 21 July 2025: Egypt launched, on Monday, the first train from Cairo to Aswan for the Sudanese migrants, who wishing to return home voluntarily, for free, to be then go to Sudanese territories by buses from Aswan, the Egyptian border city with Sudan.

Approximately 800 Sudanese nationals boarded the train at Cairo’s Misr Station in downtown. The departure was marked by close coordination efforts and the presence of Sudanese police officials and supervisors at the station, ensuring an orderly process.

A supervisor at the train station told Youm7 that high-level coordination is underway with Sudanese authorities to secure the safe and organized return of the migrants.

According to the latest Sudan Mobility Update from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), approximately 10.1 million people are internally displaced across all 18 states of Sudan. In addition, around 4.1 million individuals have fled to neighboring countries, including Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, the Central African Republic, and Uganda.

As of 4 May 2025, UNHCR Egypt has provided registration appointments to 922,300 individuals who fled Sudan following the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, the UNHCR reported. However, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in July 2024 that Egypt has hosted about 5 million Sudanese people. 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed in late April that approximately 49,800 Sudanese returned from Egypt during April, bringing the total number of returnees to Sudan to about 165,000.