There are hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees in Egypt, most of them seeking refuge from ongoing military conflicts in their home country of Sudan.

[1][4] The violent destabilization and economic collapse caused by the immense amount of death and destruction in Sudan forced millions of civilians to flee their homes and cities.

[9] Before 1995, the Wadi El Nil agreement between Sudan and Egypt gave Sudanese unrestricted access to education, health services, property ownership, and employment.

[11] Due to Egypt's high unemployment rate and overall weak economic conditions, domestic popular opinion is generally against permitting rights to Sudanese refugees (education, employment, property, etc.)

[8] Since 1997, the increasing numbers of Sudanese refugees and insufficient living conditions of Egypt lead to greater focus on resettlement to third countries, usually Australia, Canada, the U.S. or Finland.

Although most of the Sudanese in Egypt fled due to war and violence, many had rejected refugee status because they were unable to prove a "well-founded fear of persecution".

[15] In light of the January 2011 referendum in which South Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence, UNHCR has already begun creating contingency plans for a possible influx of Sudanese refugees in Egypt.

Nevertheless, Egypt's poor track record of treatment toward Sudanese refugees made it difficult to imagine the proper accommodation of a massive influx in the wake of possible post-referendum violence in Sudan.

[7] There are few cases where naturalization is approved, such as if the individual is a long-term resident or their father was born in Egypt; but these laws are vague and citizenship is not necessarily guaranteed.

A series of laws passed by parliament has effectively stalled legal and financial gains for refugees of all nationalities, and the response by the international community has been limited.

The increased rent prices burdened the Sudanese refugees particularly because they must pay for more expensive furnished flats, unlike natives who had the right to own property.

[19] Moreover, single women and mothers tend to face discrimination when seeking housing since many Egyptian landlords prefer renting to two-parent households due to social stigma.

[22] The report also called for all children to have access to public primary schools, as well as providing support and assistance obtaining secondary and post-secondary education through scholarships for students and grants to churches with learning centers.

[25] These commitments on paper have failed to translate into affording refugees sufficient protection or access to rights, including education.

Until recently, one of the reservations to the 1951 Convention referred to Article (22), which stipulated that refugees should receive the same treatment as nationals in accessing primary education.

[27] Currently, the reality is that bureaucratic and social obstacles, ignorance and confusion over ministerial decrees deny Sudanese refugee and non-refugee children alike of their right to access education.

The Egyptian Ministry of Education requires that Sudanese provide documentation from previous schools, a birth certificate and residency permit or iqama.

[34] Recently, the Danish embassy began funding a lunch program, as there was concern that children were coming to school hungry without having been fed at home.

After recognizing the difficulties Sudanese children faced in accessing free education, many churches established refugee schools.

[38] There are three major learning centers for Sudanese refugees in Cairo providing primary education from kindergarten to tenth grade; namely Muwanga, Nusiriya and Afendiya, as well as several other smaller schools across the city.

The registration process for these end of term examinations is problematic for Sudanese refugees, as it requires the submission of documentation and identification, as well as the expense of a residency permit or iqama.

"[40] Sudanese women in Cairo, particularly single mothers, are under pressure to work long hours in the informal economy as domestic workers.

Incidences of police brutality during raids and protests have led to the arbitrary detention of Sudanese refugees and, in some cases, death.

[41] In the Maadi district in 2003, from January 27 to 29, Egyptian police raided the residences of refugees from Sudan, Liberia and other African countries.

[42] In August 2004, Sudanese refugees, backed by the Egyptian non-governmental organisation SOUTH, mounted a protest against the issuing of yellow cards outside the UNHCR office.

In October to December 2005, some 2,000 people participated daily in a protest camp in a park at a busy intersection in front of Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque.

The camp was located in an upper middle class suburb where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had an office—protesting about conditions in Egypt and seeking to be resettled in another country.

[44] In the early hours of Friday, December 30, 2005, the Police raided the camp and clashes ensued in the presence of TV cameras and the press.

[46] The incident named later the "Mustapha Mahmoud Park Massacre" led many refugees to decide to seek shelter in Israel.