Hundreds of Sudanese returnees stranded at Egypt’s Abu Simbel border crossing
April 6, 2025 (ABU SIMBEL, Egypt) – Hundreds of Sudanese citizens returning home are facing significant delays and overcrowding at the Abu Simbel border crossing in southern Egypt, with many buses backlogged this weekend.
Since the conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, some 1.5 million Sudanese have fled to Egypt out of 3.9 million who crossed into neighbouring countries. Return journeys have recently increased, particularly after the Sudanese army regained control of areas like Khartoum, Gezira, and Sennar.
Sudan’s official news agency (SUNA) reported on Saturday that Sudanese nationals returning from Egypt are facing difficulties, primarily “congestion of journeys at the Special Battalion Camp in Abu Simbel.”
Thousands of Sudanese who entered Egypt irregularly are opting to return via Abu Simbel, where Egyptian authorities have reportedly established facilities aimed at providing a safer alternative to returning via smugglers.
The Egyptian Army’s “Special Battalion Camp” in Abu Simbel facilitates travel to Wadi Halfa in Sudan for low fees and with simplified procedures, attracting large numbers seeking a safe return route.
SUNA noted that onward travel from the Abu Simbel point relies on ferries transporting buses across the Nile to crossings on the eastern bank, such as Qustul-Ashkeit. These ferry journeys face limitations due to capacity constraints and official procedures.
Community, charitable, and private initiatives are organizing return trips for Sudanese from Egypt, alongside voluntary returns by families and individuals.
The volume of returns, previously around 15 buses daily via the main Qustul-Ashkeit crossing before March, has reportedly surged in recent weeks, overwhelming the ferry capacity linked to the Abu Simbel route and causing the current bottleneck.
Activists and organizers of group return trips from Cairo and Aswan are calling on Sudanese authorities and the Egyptian embassy to facilitate returns via the overland route through the Argeen border crossing.
They urged the Sudanese consulate in Aswan to issue emergency travel documents to returnees to ease the congestion at Abu Simbel and allow Sudanese to use the Argeen crossing.
An activist assisting returnees reported seeing over 120 buses stalled at Abu Simbel this weekend, with passengers including the sick, children, and elderly waiting upwards of three days to continue their journey.
SUNA mentioned that although Egyptian authorities offer facilitations at Abu Simbel for those who violated residency rules or entered illegally, many Sudanese reportedly prefer this route to avoid potential questioning or issues at the main Qustul crossing.
The agency stressed that the situation necessitates intervention by the Sudanese embassy in Cairo to coordinate with Egyptian authorities and facilitate Sudanese returns through all available crossings to alleviate the congestion.