ECHO Daily Flash

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Ethiopia – Irregular migration and forced returns

- ECHO Daily flash of 25/06/2018

Irregular Ethiopian migrants continue to be returned in large numbers from Saudi-Arabia and require humanitarian assistance. 134 797 returnees arriving in Addis Ababa airport have been registered since the end of the amnesty period granted by the Saudi-Arabian authorities in November 2017. The actual number of returnees is estimated to be around 170 000. Another estimated 260 000 Ethiopians are still in Saudi-Arabia and risk deportation in the coming months.
81% of the arrivals registered by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have been returned involuntarily and have been detained in Saudi-Arabia between one week and three to four months. Returnees report inhumane conditions and widespread physical and sexual abuse in the detention centres as well as during their journey to Saudi-Arabia. Consequently, the proportion of returnees requiring medical and psychological assistance is high. Four cases of cholera have been identified in the transit centre at Bole airport. Many returnees face substantial debts due to the costs of travel to Saudi-Arabia and face social stigma if they return to their place of origin.
Assistance upon arrival has been so far provided in a very limited manner due to resource constraints. In addition to registration and profiling, IOM is assisting the most vulnerable returnees with temporary shelter, food, non food item kits and onward transportation costs. With DG ECHO support, it has reached 6 000 people so far. The Ethiopian Red Cross and humanitarian organisations provide medical assistance to 300-350 returnees per week and an ambulance is available at the airport for severe medical cases. Family reunion is facilitated through free phone calls. Due to the lack of resources and in the absence of government agencies, further reintegration assistance to rebuild livelihoods and ensure socio-economic integration is currently not available.