Sudanese refugees flee Egypt for risky route through Libya to Europe

Bahr el-Din Yakoub fled Sudan after a missile strike killed four of his friends in Khartoum. Hoping for safety in Egypt, he instead encountered economic hardship and a harsh crackdown on refugees. With few options, he joined a growing number of Sudanese taking dangerous smuggling routes to Libya, and from there, braving the sea to Europe, Reuters reports.

Yakoub, 25, is among thousands escaping Egypt’s increasingly hostile conditions. While Sudanese migration to Libya is well known, a new trend is emerging: refugees who first flee to Egypt are now heading north through Libya toward Europe. Reuters spoke with 32 Sudanese migrants — most described leaving Egypt for Libya, Greece, and France due to rising hostility and limited legal protections.

In 2025 alone, the number of Sudanese reaching Europe rose by 134% compared to last year, even as overall migration from North Africa declined, according to UNHCR.

Yakoub recounted detention and abuse in Libya before boarding a boat to Greece. “Either we cross or die,” he said.

Sudan’s civil war has displaced millions. Though Egypt initially welcomed many, visa restrictions, legal barriers to residency, and increased deportations have made life untenable. A 2024 law shifted asylum oversight to Egyptian authorities, reducing UNHCR’s role. Rights groups say this has fueled arbitrary arrests and deportations.

Despite official denials, reports suggest 21,000 Sudanese have been expelled from Egypt since March 2025. Aid groups say worsening conditions — alongside EU support for Egypt and Libya’s border controls — are pushing more Sudanese to risk the journey north.