Crime wave hits Wadi Halfa as deportees from Egypt strain city’s security

June 3, Wadi Halfa — Residents of Wadi Halfa, Sudan’s northernmost city, have raised alarm over a sharp rise in theft, robbery, and begging in recent weeks, attributing the deterioration to the arrival of large numbers of Sudanese deported from Egypt, including individuals with criminal records.

Citizens told Sudan Tribune that the city, long known for its safety and tranquility, has undergone a dramatic shift, with incidents of robbery and looting reaching unprecedented levels. They said the situation worsened after Egyptian authorities deported significant numbers of Sudanese nationals and left them in Wadi Halfa without government facilitation to return them to their home regions.

A member of the Wadi Halfa Community High Council, who asked not to be named, told Sudan Tribune that the council submitted a memorandum to the Wadi Halfa locality on Wednesday raising concerns about the security consequences of the deportee influx. He said a number of the arrivals had spread across the city, particularly in market areas, and that the memorandum warned of a deteriorating security situation accompanied by rising robbery, property violations, and a marked increase in begging.

He said incidents of shop looting and break-ins increased noticeably during the Eid holiday, and that multiple incidents had fuelled growing public frustration. The memorandum noted that attacks on businesses and commercial properties had resulted in deaths, alongside the spread of begging across the city.

The council member warned that if the security situation continues to deteriorate and public anxiety grows, it could trigger popular protests demanding government intervention.

Wadi Halfa is located approximately 909 kilometres north of Khartoum and 345 kilometres south of the Egyptian city of Aswan. It serves as Sudan’s northern gateway and main land crossing with Egypt, with the Qastal border crossing having opened in 2014.