Poverty, racism and forced disappearances: why Sudanese war refugees are leaving Egypt for Europe

In Cairo’s Faisal district, those who fled conflict at home say they face violence and uncertainty, making a voyage across the Mediterranean their only hope

• Words and photographs by Simon Ruisch

There are an estimated 1.3 million Sudanese refugees living in Cairo. Most have fled from neighbouring Sudan after the outbreak of civil war in April 2023. Instead of the safety and security they had hoped to find, they say life in the Egyptian capital has turned into a horror story.

“The situation here is so hopeless that I am now preparing for a second crossing [to Europe]. I haven’t told my mother yet as I don’t know if she would survive losing a second child,” says Nadir*, 26. Like other Sudanese people interviewed for this story, he prefers not to be identified by his real name.

‘Here in Egypt, you are confined like a criminal,’ says Nadir