6.2. Safety

When examining whether the applicant would have no fear of persecution or serious harm, the decision-maker should refer to chapters 1 to 4 of this document.

When assessing the requirement of safety with regard to the applicability of IPA in individual cases of applicants from Sudan, the following elements should be taken into account:

• General security situation in relation to indiscriminate violence

  The general security situation in the particular part of the country that is being examined as an alternative for internal protection in the individual case should be assessed in accordance with the analysis under the section on Article 15(c) QD/QR.

  The conclusion with regard to Port Sudan, Red Sea State, is as follows:

  In Port-Sudan, there is, in general, no real risk for a civilian to be personally affected within the meaning of Article 15(c) QD/QR. See b) Assessment of indiscriminate violence per region – No real risk. However, due consideration should be given to the volatile situation in Port Sudan where multiple attacks at the beginning of May 2025 have been reported.

• Actor of persecution or serious harm and their reach

  In cases where the person fears persecution or serious harm by State actors (e.g. 3.1.2. Nuba from the Kordofans, 3.1.3. Arabs from Darfur and the Kordofans, 3.3. Members of the Resistance committees (RCs) and Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), 3.4. Members of political parties, unions and civil society organisations, 3.6. Journalists and other media workers, 3.7. Humanitarian and healthcare workers), there is a presumption that IPA would not be available (Recital 27 QD/QR).

  In case of persecution or serious harm by the RSF or other armed groups, it is important to assess their operational capacity in Port Sudan. Given that the RSF or other groups do not have significant presence or operational capacity in Port Sudan, the criterion of safety may be satisfied. However, particular consideration should be given to the individual circumstances of the applicant and whether they are perceived by the actor as a priority target.

  In some cases, where the applicant faces persecution or serious harm for reasons related to the prevalent social norms in Sudan, and the actor of persecution or serious harm is the Sudanese society at large (e.g. women and girls facing gender-based violence, FGM, forced and child marriage and persons with diverse SOGIESC), taking into account the reach of the actor of persecution or serious harm, the general lack of State protection for such applicants, and their vulnerability to potential new forms of persecution or serious harm, the safety criterion would in general not be met.

• Whether the profile of the applicant is considered a priority target and/or a threat by the actor of persecution or serious harm

  The profile of the applicant could make him or her a priority target, increasing the likelihood that the actor of persecution or serious harm would attempt to trace the applicant in the potential IPA location.

• Behaviour of the applicant

  It is recalled that an applicant cannot be reasonably expected to abstain from practices fundamental to his or her identity, such as those related to religion or sexual orientation, in order to avoid the risk of persecution or serious harm.16

• Other risk-enhancing circumstances

The information under 3. Refugee status should be used to assist in this assessment.

Alternatively, it may be determined that the requirement of safety is satisfied if the applicant would have access to protection against persecution or serious harm, as defined in Article 7 QD/QR, in the area where IPA is considered. In Sudan no actor of protection is considered available. See also 5. Actors of protection.