Why did the tragedy happen?
A number of Western embassies in Sudan held quantities of passports for the purpose of completing visa procedures, then fighting broke out, according to a report by the US news network “CNN”. Staff in at least 3 missions were unable to return travel documents (passports) to their owners who are Sudanese nationals. They found themselves without travel documents, leaving them in a legal limbo. In some cases, embassy staff have advised Sudanese nationals to ask their country’s authorities for new passports, even as the violence has disrupted government services. In one case, a Swedish employee advised a Sudanese visa applicant to use a passport copy instead of a travel document.
The countries of the embassies recognize the case
The Sudanese have accused several embassies of neglecting them and obstructing their passage out of the country.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed that a number of passports of Sudanese citizens were left at its embassy in Khartoum, after diplomats left it, following an “immediate closure” with the outbreak of the fights.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry said: “There are a number of passports that have been left at the Dutch embassy. These passports belong to Sudanese citizens who were applying for a Schengen visa or a temporary residence permit. ”
She added: “The sudden outbreak of fighting in the early morning hours of April 15 forced the Dutch embassy to close immediately with immediate effect.”
The Dutch Foreign Ministry regretted that it was unable to retrieve these passports due to the unstable security situation, acknowledging that this case put a number of people in a difficult situation.
She is currently actively exploring the possibility of offering individual support.
“As soon as possible”
In the same vein, the Italian Foreign Ministry has said it is aware of the problem. She added that she would try to return passports held at her embassy to Sudanese nationals “as soon as possible”.
Stories from Sudanese Citizens
Sudanese filmmaker Ahmed Mahmoud, 35, says the Swedish embassy has kept his passport since he applied for a visa to attend the Arab Film Festival in Sweden, which kicked off on Friday April 28.
The immigration officer at the Swedish embassy in Khartoum repeatedly told Mahmoud that he could not receive a passport because embassy staff had been evacuated from the building.
As for Fatima, a pseudonym used by a Sudanese woman for security reasons, she says she must leave the country urgently as two of the then residents of Khartoum have been killed, while her passport is withheld at the Italian Embassy.
Embassy staff did not respond to his repeated requests for the return of his passport.
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