Sudanese refugees face perilous challenges as they traverse deserts and seas, confronting pushbacks, racial discrimination, and homelessness along their arduous journeys.

In Gravelines, France, on a blustery February day, two Sudanese men struggle to decipher a bus schedule in a parking lot. They aim to catch a bus to Calais, located 21 kilometers to the west, with the United Kingdom just 32 kilometers across the English Channel. However, harsh weather conditions render it unlikely for boats filled with refugees to attempt the crossing.

The previous day, under clearer skies, 249 individuals seeking a new life in the UK successfully crossed the Channel. In 2023, approximately 30,000 migrants made similar crossings, highlighting the ongoing influx that remains a focal point in UK media.

Hashim*, a tall man in his 20s from West Darfur, recounts their struggles. “We’ve been in the region for 10 days,” he shares. “We need time to figure out our next steps, moving from camp to camp for information.” He and his companion, Yusuf*, a boisterous man in his 40s from Blue Nile, spent the previous night in a Dunkirk camp, with Hashim hopeful for a spot in a Calais tent that night, while Yusuf expresses doubts.

Their paths to Europe were similar, yet they only met in France. Both aspire to cross to the UK, but the cost of small boat passage—1,500 euros for Sudanese nationals—remains prohibitive. Those from other nationalities pay even more, enriching smuggling gangs, some of whom are also migrants.

As they converse, a bus arrives, and they board alongside a group of other refugees, many damp from a failed boarding attempt at a nearby beach. After confirming the bus is headed to Calais, they embark on their journey.

Later, in a hangar in Calais, the charity Caritas-France provides warmth and support to migrants arriving at this crucial port city.

A recent UN survey highlights the plight of Sudanese refugees in Libya, indicating that 75% wish to leave due to rampant violence, detention, and racism. Sudanese individuals are frequently intercepted at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard or forcibly returned to Libya by the Tunisian National Guard, often leading to detention.

From mid-2023 to mid-2024, around 10,000 sub-Saharan Africans were reportedly deported from Tunisia to Libya. In May, numerous Sudanese refugees camping outside UN offices in Tunis faced expulsion to the Algerian border.

In response to the refugee crisis, the European Union continues to fund border enforcement across Africa, providing minimal assistance to refugee camps, hoping these measures will deter Sudanese and other sub-Saharan Africans from migrating northward.