Refugees and the Rashaida: human smuggling and trafficking from Eritrea to Sudan and Egypt

The smuggling route from Eritrea to Israel is long, complex and involves many different actors. As such, it cannot be examined in its entirety in a single paper. This analysis consequently focuses on the movement of people from Eritrea to east Sudan, and from east Sudan to Egypt. A review of testimonies from Eritrean refugees and key informant interviews provide an understanding of the situation from the available data. It also examines the role of smugglers in east Sudan, particularly a group of smugglers from an ethnic group known as the Rashaida.