UNHCR Position on Voluntary Returns to Sudan

This UNHCR position provides guidance on voluntary returns to Sudan amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis. It reaffirms that persons originating from Sudan who are outside the country and who cannot return there because of the conflict, are likely to be in need of international protection. It calls on States to respect and uphold the principle of non-refoulement at all times. It affirms that conditions for safe, dignified and sustainable returns are therefore generally not in place. It highlights safeguards for voluntary returns to Sudan, informed decision-making, the importance of support for host countries, informed decision-making, and the circumstances in which UNHCR may engage with return movements to Sudan. It emphasizes that such engagement does not amount to promotion of voluntary repatriation, or to a determination by UNHCR that conditions in Sudan are generally conducive to organized voluntary repatriation as a durable solution.