France to deport 27 Sudanese asylum seekers

The French authorities have decided to deport 27 Sudanese citizens, whose applications for political asylum have been unsuccessful.

Deportation orders have been issued against 27 people, most of them from Darfur and the Nuba Mountains.

The move comes after the French authorities earlier deported about 20 Sudanese asylum seekers by force to Khartoum via Qatar Airways after they refused voluntarily return.

Several French human rights and refugee organisations have protested against the French authorities' decision.

Radio Dabanga learned that a Sudanese refugee living in Marseilles will be deported to Khartoum via Qatar Airways today, while another four Sudanese will be deported to Khartoum by the end of the week.

Last weekend, activists demonstrated outside the Qatar Airways office at the airport in Paris to protest against the deportation of the Sudanese asylum seekers after most international airlines had refused to transport them to Khartoum.

For several past months it is known that the French authorities have acknowledged the war in some regions of Sudan and the massive violations of human rights in the rest of Sudan, however public opinion in France has moved distinctly to the right, especially following the declaration of the State of Emergency after a series of deadly attacks by Islamic extremists.