Deportation of over 300 Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees from Sudan.

Rome, October 20, 2011. At the beginning of October EveryOne Group, the NGO “Gandhi” and a network of NGOs sent the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other international organizations for the protection of refugees an urgent appeal concerning the risk of deportation for 361 Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees in Sudan. The appeal to the High Commissioner indicated the place of detention of the refugees, their names and a series of mobile phone numbers through which it was possible to contact them. After receiving news of the High Commissioner’s interest in the case, EveryOne Group, the NGO “Gandhi” and the network of organizations for the rights of Eritrean refugees watched on with dismay at the deportation of Eritreans and Ethiopians, many of whom were women and children. Today, UNHCR issued a statement regarding the incident.
The United Nations refugee agency condemned in the statement the deportation of more than 300 Eritrean refugees and asylum-seekers by Sudan after weeks of detention and in spite of a previous agreement with the UN.
Adrian Edwards, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva that his agency was concerned that the rights of refugees were not being respected, even though Sudanese authorities had assured otherwise, and said Sudan’s actions breached the agreement between his agency and the Government.

“The deportation took place despite an agreement between UNHCR and the Sudanese Commissioner for Refugees that the Eritreans would be transferred to Khartoum for joint screening – the aim being to identify people in the group who already had refugee status and to allow others the opportunity to lodge asylum claims,” he said. The deportation took place despite an agreement between UNHCR and the Sudanese Commissioner for Refugees that the Eritreans would be transferred to Khartoum for joint screening…
Upon arrival, the refugees were convicted on charges of illegal entry and movement in Sudan, and were subsequently detained for several weeks in Dongola in the country’s north, before being deported yesterday. Mr. Edwards said deportations like these violate the 1951 UN Refugee Convention as well as the 1974 Sudanese Asylum Act. According to UNHCR, Sudan has recently forced asylum-seekers on various occasions to return to Eritrea, where they risk persecution.

EveryOne Group, the NGO “Gandhi” and a network of NGOs are now appealing to UNHCR to take urgent action and ask the Eritrean government to ensure that prisoners are released and that their fundamental rights are then respected. We are also asking that the High Commissioner remain in contact with each one of them to make sure, through careful monitoring, that no repressive measures are taken against them.