Over 40,000 Repatriated in Four Months

Jun 25 , 2022

Federal officials say over 40,000 Ethiopian migrants have been repatriated from Saudi Arabia over the past four months. Over 100 flights between the end of March 2022 and last week brought in around 40pc of the 102,000 migrants authorities plan to repatriate by next year. Hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants taken into custody by Saudi officials as part of a crackdown that gained momentum in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Migrants were afforded a 90-day amnesty, during which they could leave the country without facing harsh consequences. Many were unable to do so, subsequently arrested and packed into dense detention centres. Returnees have reported they face difficulties upon arrival in Addis Abeba, where support from the government and humanitarian agencies is insufficient to meet even essential needs.