Privacy in Displacement: Data Protection for Refugees in Sudan

Abstract

This paper examines the data protection challenges faced by refugees in Sudan with significant focus on how these challenges disproportionately affect the female refugees. Sudan hosts a significant refugee population; however, it lacks a comprehensive data protection legislation. By focusing on the intersection of gender, refugee status, and digital vulnerability, this paper discusses how the personal data of refugees can be protected. The author highlights identity theft, discrimination, marginalization, privacy breaches, and data exploitation as challenges that arise from the activities of humanitarian organizations within and without refugee camps. As recommendations, the author advocates for effective Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) to be integrated into the activities of humanitarian organizations, enactment and enforcement of a data protection law, and the establishment of a national data protection authority in Sudan. These measures aim to protect the digital rights of refugees and mitigate their exposure to data related risks.