Voluntary Return Issues Discussed by the Egyptian – Sudanese Association “Isnad” and the Refugee Commission in Egypt

Cairo – Sudanhorizon
The Isnad Association for the Support of War and Disaster Victims, in collaboration with the Sudanese Commission for Refugees, organised a roundtable discussion on Thursday entitled “Issues of Voluntary Return and the Role of the State and Civil Society Organisations”, held at the Association’s headquarters in Cairo.
The session opened with remarks by Mr. Al-Sadiq Suleiman, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees for Khartoum and the Northern States. He outlined the forms and mechanisms of voluntary return, as well as the legal framework governing the process, which is based on a tripartite agreement between the host country, the UNHCR, and the country of origin. He also detailed the principles of return, the various stages involved, and the required procedures for each phase. Furthermore, he explained the roles and responsibilities of the entities involved in the return process.
Mr. Suleiman highlighted the rights of refugees who choose to return voluntarily to their country of origin, emphasising that the UNHCR, the host country, and the country of origin must guarantee these rights. These rights span from the voluntary registration phase to the period following the refugee’s return to their chosen location within their homeland. He stressed that these rights should not be lost due to rushed returns or bureaucratic delays.
Speaking during the session, Ms. Amira Al-Fadil, Chair of the Board of Isnad Association, discussed voluntary organisations, civil society, and United Nations agencies’ roles. She referred to past experiences in which she was directly involved, such as the return of South Sudanese citizens following the 2011 secession, and the repatriation of African migrants from Libya in 2017.
Participants discussed the importance of raising awareness among migrants and refugees about their rights and responsibilities, including the necessity for those who registered with the UNHCR to formally close their files in the case of spontaneous, unorganised return. Failure to do so, it was noted, could hinder their ability to travel abroad from Sudan in the future.
Among those contributing to the discussion were Dr. Ammar Zakaria, Dr. Adel Abdel Aziz, Ms. Amal Abu Al-Qasim, Mr. Salah Omar Al-Sheikh, Mr. Al-Samani Awadallah, and Police Brigadier (ret.) Omar Othman who had previously authored a booklet entitled “Guide to Safe Return”. Several file officers from the Isnad Association also participated.
The comprehensive discussion concluded that the issue of return for Sudanese displaced by war — whether abroad or internally — is a matter of national security and must be prioritised accordingly. The speakers urged the Sudanese government, which has formed a high-level committee to address the matter, to expedite its efforts to respond to the growing number of Sudanese already returning spontaneously and without coordination.
They also stressed the importance of accompanying these efforts with awareness campaigns, as well as the critical role that both state-run and private media must play in this regard. Moreover, they highlighted the need for coordinated action between the United Nations agencies, the Government of Sudan, and the governments of host countries where Sudanese refugees have expressed the desire to return home.
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