The camera is on: Sudanese migration and digital communities

By Abdallah Ounour | OMC 2025

Photo by Brian Ramirez on Pexels

Migration has always been part of Sudanese society. For many years, people moved inside the country and across borders for work, safety, or to join family. However, in recent times, the way people migrate has changed. Today, digital tools such as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have become important parts of how people plan, experience, and talk about migration.

This essay looks at how Sudanese migrants use digital platforms as part of what is called a community of practice. This concept, developed by Wenger, McDermott and Snyder, refers to people who share knowledge and experiences through regular interaction. In the case of Sudanese migrants, this includes not just the migrants themselves, but also smugglers, family members, and others who help or guide or even control the journey. They use social media to share advice, support each other, and build a sense of identity.     

As migration routes become more dangerous and harder to cross, people rely more on online spaces to get information and stay connected. Facebook, for example, is used by many Sudanese migrants in North Africa and Europe. They use it to ask questions, post updates, and connect with others who are also on the move. These digital spaces act as both communication tools and social support networks.     

In this research, I employed online ethnography and contextual analysis as data collection methods, focusing on 12 Sudanese Facebook groups and one YouTube channel. These platforms are where migrants talk to each other, share tips, and warn about dangers. The language used is usually Sudanese Arabic, which makes it easier for people from the same background to understand each other and harder for outsiders, including authorities, to monitor.     

One of the most important ideas shared in these groups is the word “Jangoo”, originally, this word referred to workers who travelled inside Sudan to work on farms. Now it has a broader meaning – it refers to anyone trying to move from Sudan in an irregularised way. Migrants proudly use this word to describe themselves, such as “Libya’s Jangoo” or “France’s Jangoo”. It gives a sense of belonging and shared purpose.     

The Facebook groups I studied had over 1.6 million members in total. They are mainly focused on countries like Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, and Sudan, where many Sudanese migrants pass through. 

These groups serve three main purposes:

1. Sharing information: people post about road conditions, weather, police activity, smuggler prices, and changes in asylum laws.

2. Coordinating Travel: Terms like “Tafgeera” (which literally means explosion) are used to describe a planned trip or a successful border crossing.

3. Rating smugglers: Members talk about smugglers, compare prices, and warn each other about dishonest ones.      

To avoid being shut down by Facebook, users resort to coded words. For example, instead of saying “smuggler” they might say “helper”. Police might be referred to as “Abbas”. They also use Sudanese slang and avoid using sensitive words like “illegal” or “trafficking”. This allows the groups to evade Facebook detective algorithms.

Screenshot by the author

Another important platform is YouTube. I focused on a channel called “The Ambassador of Al-Jangoo”. This channel is run by a Sudanese migrant who reached Europe in 2021. His goal is to share real-life stories about migration to help others understand both risks and rewards of the journey.

In 2024, during the month of Ramadan, he posted a video series called “Meshwar Mohager” (A migrant’s journey). In this series, he interviewed Sudanese migrants in Europe. They talked about where they came from, how they traveled, and what life is like now. Some guests were regular people with unique border crossing experiences, while others were known singers or TikTok users with many followers, in other words they are social media based stars within this community. 

These interviews give voice to migrants and help others make informed decisions. Some stories are hopeful; others are full of pain and regret. But all of them give insight into what it means to be a migrant today. The YouTube channel does not just provide information – it builds a shared community and identity.

One of the key themes on this channel is the debate between those who believe in migration and those who criticise it. A Sudan-based figure who was considered by Al-Jangoo as “The ambassador of immobility” often appears in videos. He argues that migration is not always worth the risk. He warns young people not to believe everything they see on social media. These debates are important because they show that the community of migrants is not united in its views. There are real disagreements and tensions.     

In addition to interviews, the YouTube channel offers practical advice on how to live in Europe: how to find housing, managing gender-related issues, deal with the asylum process, find work, or send money home.      

These online platforms show that migration is not just a physical journey. It is also emotional, social, and digital. Migrants are not just moving from one place to another – they are creating a new way of living and understanding the world, using the tools they have.

Digital communities allow migrants to feel connected, even if they are far apart. They share common concepts, jokes, warnings, and support. Phrases like “Tagdera” (money paid to a smuggler) or “Chansat” (crossing attempts) become part of a shared vocabulary. 

Of course, there are limitations to this research. Not all migrants are honest online. Some stories are exaggerated. Others may be shaped to impress, attract views, or avoid shame. Also, relying on online data means I do not always see the full picture – especially the parts people do not want to share.

Still, these platforms give valuable insight into how migrants understand their own lives and choices. They show us that people on the move are not just victims or criminals. They are thinkers, planners, and survivors. They use the tools around them to build networks, make decisions and share knowledge.  

In conclusion, Sudanese migrants have created a powerful digital community of practice. This community helps people navigate migration, avoid danger, and feel connected. It shows that the story of migration today is not only written on the road – but also on screens, in videos, and in shared words. The camera is truly on. 

Abdallah Ounour

Abdallah is an anthropologist and a double-degree doctoral candidate at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo (Italy) & University of Bayreuth (Germany). His current PhD research project is titled: Assisted migration or human trafficking? Sudan’s role in international migration. He is also a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Gadarif in Sudan. He has conducted research on human smuggling to and from Sudan, and more recently, within Europe and toward the UK. His work also includes research on refugee camps in Eastern Sudan, Artisanal Gold mining, and seasonal labor migration. You can find him on LinkedIn and Facebook.