Sudan has deported at least 442 Eritreans back to their country this month, including six registered refugees, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.
“Sudan is arresting and forcing Eritreans back into the hands of a repressive government without allowing refugees to seek protection,” said Gerry Simpson, senior refugee researcher and advocate at HRW.
The country is also said to have denied the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) access to identify those who wanted to claim asylum and also denied the agency access to 64 Ethiopians said to still be in detention and risk deportation.
“Sudan should be working with the UN refugee agency to protect these people, not send them back to face abuse,” Simpson added.
International law forbids countries from deporting asylum seekers without first allowing them to apply for asylum and considering their cases. This right applies regardless of how asylum seekers enter a country or how long they have been in a country before claiming asylum.
