KHARTOUM, June 8, 2026 (SUNA) — The Commission for Refugees (COR) resumed operations on Monday to review, register, and update data for South Sudanese refugees within refugee camps in White Nile State. The operation is being conducted in collaboration with the Directorate of Passports and Civil Registry and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Commissioner for Refugees Nizar Al-Tijani Ahmed Abu Al-Gasim stated that the measure forms part of a comprehensive strategic plan to review refugee registries and introduce a smart refugee identity card carrying a “Foreign National ID Number.”He explained that the initiative primarily aims to ensure the protection of refugees while regulating and managing the foreign presence in Sudan, thereby reinforcing national security in light of the complex security challenges arising from the war that erupted in April 2023. For his part, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees in White Nile State, Major General Imad Mustafa, welcomed the resumption of registry verification procedures and the introduction of the new smart cards. He stressed that the measures are fully consistent with the 2014 Sudanese Asylum Act and the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, ensuring legal protection for refugees while facilitating their access to essential humanitarian and government services. He added that the immediate plan targets the registration of over 33,000 newborn children to add them to their families’ files, prior to transitioning to the issuance of foreign national numbers and smart ID cards for all refugees across the state’s camps. Ms. Angelina James, a 50-year-old refugee who has resided in Al-Redais 2 camp since 2015, expressed her relief regarding the resumption of registry updates and newborn additions. She noted that she had been waiting to register her four grandchildren so they could be included in food and aid distribution rations, expressing gratitude to COR and the UNHCR for conducting the registry updates directly within the camps. Sudan currently hosts approximately one million refugees, 75% of whom originate from South Sudan, with nearly half of that population residing in White Nile State. The Commission plans to expand this biometric registration framework to refugee populations in eastern Sudan immediately upon completing operations in White Nile State.BH/BH