Sudanese authorities have completed the second phase of repatriating irregular migrants to Nigeria, with 146 individuals flown out of Port Sudan airport on Thursday.
According to Deputy Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Ahmed Mohamed Osman, the process was coordinated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of a voluntary return program. He noted that nearly 90% of those deported were women and children, while the rest were university students who had been studying in Sudan before the outbreak of conflict.
Osman highlighted that Sudan had long hosted millions of migrants and refugees who shared homes, food, and services with local citizens. However, he said the war and widespread destruction of infrastructure by the Rapid Support Forces had made it impossible to sustain those services.
IOM Sudan head Mohamed Refaat explained that most of the returnees had been stranded in conflict-hit Khartoum. Many had initially come to Sudan to study, but the war left them without financial support or access to essential services.
