Document #1301512
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
An official at the Embassy of the Republic
of The Sudan stated in a telephone interview that a person leaving
Sudan is required to have an exit visa, which is indicated in the
person's passport by a stamp (16 Mar. 1995). A person returning to
Sudan without an exit stamp would be questioned about his/her
departure by border control officials, and would have to pay a fine
(16 Mar. 1995). The official did not know the amount of the fine,
explaining that "it keeps changing" (ibid.). In addition, this
person would be asked not to leave Sudan again without first
obtaining an exit visa. The official added that exit visas are used
for statistical purposes (ibid.).
A representative of the Sudan Human Rights
Organization in London, UK, provided contrasting information in a
telephone interview (13 Mar. 1995). The representative did not know
of a specific penalty but speculated that it would be lenient,
given that most people obtain an exit visa (ibid.). However,
according to the representative, the fact that a person left Sudan
without an exit visa might suggest to the authorities that the
person was a political opponent of the government. Therefore, as a
suspected opponent, he or she would be detained upon return
(ibid.). The representative stated that "more than 90 per cent of
detentions of suspected opponents are without due legal process,"
and that a person returning without an exit visa could be subjected
to punishment "outside of the law and outside of the courts,"
including "torture for political opponents" (ibid.).
The representative explained that a person
with no record of difficulty with the governing authorities should
eventually be able to obtain an exit visa. An individual who has
had problems with the authorities, or who is otherwise known to the
authorities, could have difficulty obtaining an exit visa (ibid.).
The representative stated that someone returning without an exit
visa who had been politically active while abroad could be
arbitrarily detained (ibid.).
A representative of the Sudanese Democratic
Forum in London, UK, in a telephone interview speculated that no
penalty for illegally leaving Sudan would be invoked if the person
had connections to the National Islamic Front, or if the person had
no record of political activities either in Sudan or while out of
the country (13 Mar. 1995).
For information on Sudanese exit permits
and travel restrictions and controls, please consult the attachment
from the Travel Information Manual, as well as Response to
Information Request SDN19745.E of 14 February 1995, which is
available at Regional Documentation Centres.
This response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum.
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan,
Ottawa. 16 March 1995. Telephone interview with official.
Sudan Human Rights Organization, London.
13 March 1995. Telephone interview with representative.
Sudanese Democratic Forum, London. 13
March 1995. Telephone interview with representative.
Travel Information Manual
[Hoofddorp, The Netherlands]. March 1995, pp. 321-323.