Translated from Tigrigna
Records of Eritreans crossing the borders to Sudan is on the rise since the second month of this year, Monitors from Khartoum reported. The report states, beginning from the month of February thousands of Eritreans are leaving their country. Eritrean refugees in Ethiopian camps are also heading to Sudan in greater numbers according to the report.
The spring season (May-June) getting closer around the Mediterranean is one factor that is pulling Eritrean migrants to flock to Sudan, a transit that would led them to Libya or Egypt so that they can cross Mediterranean waters without any trouble. Official sources say, the number of illegal migrants arrived at Libyan or Egyptian coasts doubles during the spring season.
The recent migration deal the EU and Italy have signed with the UN-backed Libyan government to curb irregular migrants’ flow is another factor which is escalating the number of Eritrea migrants heading to Sudan then to Libya or Egypt.
Smugglers are packing more migrants recklessly before the recent deal came to effect. On that deal , the EU and Italian government have agreed to give 200m euro ($215m) , to enable Libya to curb migrant boats in the country’s territorial waters and to return Europe bounded migrants back home.
Meanwhile the number of people getting closer to Libyan and Egyptian coasts has folded, according to IOM’s latest report. The report indicates that 13,439 migrants departed from Libya to arrive to Europe this year so far, a double figure to the 5,273 arrivals recorded during the same period last year.
To curb the escalating flow of Eritrean migrants to and from their countries, Sudanese, Libyan and Egyptian governments are deploying more security personnel across their borders.
Africa Monitors estimates that, Sudan, a country receiving millions of euros from the EU to halt irregular migration and human trafficking will administrate sterner measures to work hand in hand with Libya’s UN-backed government.