Over 26,000 New Sudanese Refugees Registered in Egypt

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced the registration of over 26,000 newly arrived Sudanese nationals in Egypt during May 2025, as part of a broader wave of returns following recent military advances in Sudan.

Sudanese Refugee Numbers in Egypt Climb

While the UN agency did not confirm whether all newly registered individuals arrived within May or earlier, it reported that the total number of Sudanese registered with the agency since the conflict erupted in April 2023 has reached approximately 668,979.

According to UNHCR estimates, Egypt now hosts around 1.5 million Sudanese refugees, in addition to 67,000 refugees of other nationalities who fled Sudan amid the ongoing conflict.

Continued Cross-Border Movements

Despite the rising refugee numbers, Egypt has also seen a large-scale return of displaced persons back to Sudan. Reports show that nearly 150,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed back into Sudan through the Arqeen and Ashkeet border crossings since the beginning of 2025.

Egypt remains one of the main destinations for Sudanese fleeing war, with heavy congestion reported at its southern border crossings. Authorities have been working to improve transportation by reopening the Nile ferry route between Egypt’s Aswan and Sudan’s Wadi Halfa, aiming to ease the movement of returnees.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has caused one of the region’s most significant humanitarian crises, with Egypt playing a central role in hosting and facilitating the transit of refugees and returnees alike.