Sudan withdraws citizenship from 3,548 foreigners

People queue at passport control at an airport in Khartoum, Sudan on 14 May 2012 [ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP/GettyImages]

Sudan on Wednesday withdrew citizenship from 3,548 foreigners granted the nationality by the former regime of ousted President Omar Al-Bashir, the Sudanese Ministry of Interior said in a statement
In May 2019, the Sudanese Ministry of Interior announced forming a technical committee to examine and review the procedures followed ahead of granting the Sudanese nationality to people in the recent past.

Wednesday’s statement said the head of the Sovereignty Council in Sudan, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, cancelled previous decisions issued by the Presidency of the Republic to grant 3,548 foreigners the Sudanese nationality upon the recommendation of the Minister of Interior Al-Tarifi Idris.

Adding that the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the Sudanese diplomatic missions abroad will be contacted with details and names, in order to take the necessary measures.

READ: Sudan welcomes its removal US list of violators of religious freedoms

The statement indicated that “the technical committee concerned with reviewing the Sudanese identity during the period from 1989 to 2019 continues its work in accordance with the legal procedures.”

The new criteria for granting citizenship and the requirements for granting identity papers have sparked controversy in Khartoum recently.

While there have been reports that Al-Bashir’s brother, Abdullah, granted citizenship to a number of Arabs who did not meet the legal requirements. 

Source:https:middleeastmonitor.com/