There are significant numbers of Sudanese migrants travelling from Sudan to Europe, especially since 2014. Many hail from Darfur.

While there has been a lot of interest in Sudan as a transit country for migration from Africa to Europe, the fact that Sudan is also a source of migrants has received remarkably little attention.

A new study released on 11 September 2018 analyses the trends, drivers and causes of migration and displacement in and from Darfur, with a particular focus on the recent increase in migration to Europe. As migration has long formed a part of livelihoods in Darfur, the study also examined whether and how current migration patterns build on those of the past.  The study is jointly-led by researchers from SOAS University of London and the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), and in Sudan our partners were CEDEJ-Khartoum, the Faculty of University of Khartoum and Oxfam Sudan.  It is jointly funded by the EUTF Trust Fund for Africa’s Research and Evidence Facility and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department for Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid.  Fieldwork took place in Darfur, Khartoum, Italy, France, Belgium and the UK. Thus, it is a rare example of a research study that follows the migration journey, and migrants’ experiences from their area of origin to their final intended destination.

The study analyses both the structural causes of migration and decision-making at the individual and household levels. It also analyses how policies influence migration (through migrant experiences) and the factors that facilitate and obstruct it, including smuggling and trafficking systems, social networks and the role of new communication technologies.

Key findings include that for many young Darfuris, attack, arrest and harassment by government forces, paramilitary groups and militia are the primary reasons for leaving.  Violence remains common during a conflict which has now been ongoing for more than 15 years.  Many of those who migrate to Europe also have a history of conflict displacement.  This has implications for asylum claims in Europe as well as for how European governments engage with the government of Sudan.  In leaving Sudan, most migration is in stages, initially to Libya, then across the Mediterranean to Italy and northern Europe.  Darfuris are among the most vulnerable migrants, being subject to exploitation and abduction in Libya and in Europe often end up on the street and subjected to further violence.  The report examines the conditions and experience of Darfuris in Europe and the implications for migration and asylum policies.

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