Fortune News | Oct 06,2024
Key Takeaways
Parliamentary scrutiny was chewy last week as Minister of Labour & Skills, Muferihat Kamil, faced pointed questions over her Ministry’s performance, revealing a troubling juxtaposition between statistical achievement and human suffering.
While her report claimed the creation of 3.4 million jobs over the past nine months — 3.2 million domestic and 344,790 overseas — the session on the federal legislative floor quickly shifted to the unspeakable cost borne by vulnerable citizens chasing opportunity beyond the country’s borders. The Ministry’s annual target of facilitating 833,333 overseas job placements remains unmet, with less than half achieved.
More alarming, the foreign employment sector, hailed as a fiscal and social safety valve, brought in 113.4 million dollars from 943 licensed overseas employment agencies, a quarter of the targeted returns. Legislators called this not mere performance gap, but a governance failure.
Beneath the numbers lay grim realities. Unlicensed recruitment agencies continue to take advantage of vulnerable Ethiopians, sending desperate job seekers to countries with which Ethiopia has no formal labour agreements. Young Ethiopians are promised lucrative opportunities abroad, only to be trapped in dire circumstances.
Minister Muferihat acknowledged the troubling existence of illegal agencies. Her Ministry formally recognises 1,200 foreign employment agencies and has labour agreements with only six countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, and previously Lebanon, now suspended over safety concerns. Employment outside these countries, Muferihat told legislators, is often a scam.
"There're no excuses for playing with human life," she said, condemning unscrupulous recruiters who vanish after taking substantial sums, leaving shattered dreams and financial ruin behind.
Samuel Girma’s, 29, experience illustrates one of these harrowing stories.
A car mechanic, he had hoped employment in Romania could lift his family out of poverty. Through a social media promotion, Samuel registered with an agency that initially demanded an upfront fee of 87,000 Br. Despite hearing troubling stories about similar agencies, Samuel, burdened by years of underemployment, proceeded.
"I had to find my way out to escape from my perpetual poverty," Samuel told Fortune.
Over months, the agency’s demands escalated dramatically. Samuel paid an additional 90,000 Br for educational certification and another 202,000 Br for job processing. He resorted to borrowing from relatives and even diverted funds intended for his father’s small business.
“I pinched from my family’s pocket,” he admitted.
Two months later, with no employment in sight and the agency demanding yet another 257,000 Br, Samuel confronted them. The agency vanished without a trace. Efforts to press charges have brought no resolution, leaving Samuel desperate yet still clinging to the hope of leaving Ethiopia.
Members of Parliament voiced strong concerns about limited legal employment opportunities abroad, pushing desperate youth toward illegal routes with risks to their lives. According to Zelalem Melak (MP), human rights abuses and exploitation remain unanswered by the government. He criticised inactions against the ongoing tragedies.
Other MPs shared alarming cases, including Ethiopians trapped in Myanmar, facing torture and inhumane conditions. According to Jemal Ali (MP), families face difficulties tracing relatives employed overseas, recounting the story of a woman from Keffa Zone, Southern Western Regional State, who vanished after overseas placement, leaving her family helpless and without answers.
"Overseas employment is in a crisis," Ali asserted.
Minister Muferihat defended her Ministry’s efforts, blaming international labour exploitation issues. She disclosed a new digital system and a partnership with a German firm to expand legal migration routes. Yet, issues in governance and enforcement persist.
A 2017 International Labour Organization (ILO) study found severe issues facing Ethiopian migrant workers in Gulf countries, including forced labour, passport seizure, abuse, and unpaid wages.
Employment and immigration lawyer Abdi Temam attributed these to systemic failures, claiming local authorities often protect fraudulent agencies.
"Their hands are long," Abdi told Fortune.
According to Abdi, unidentified addresses frequently prevent legal summons, leaving victims waiting indefinitely for justice. He blamed the Ministry of Labour’s reluctance to prosecute agencies violating the law or failing to cooperate fully with legal institutions.
"Government officials often show limited willingness to engage diplomatically to secure the safety of exploited Ethiopians abroad.' Abdi Said.
He called for urgent legal action and increased public awareness.
"The Ministry must not only find ways to send workers abroad but also ensure their safe return," he said.
Ministry of Labour was among eight federal agencies restructured under recent civil service reforms. It has undergone 22 policy revisions and extensive organisational changes over the past three years. With an annual budget of 1.3 billion Br — 754 million Br for capital expenditure — it has utilised 70pc of its allocated funds in the three quarters of the fiscal year.
The Ministry has expanded Technical, Vocational Education & Training (TVET) programs. The Minister cited progress in aligning vocational education with market demands, revising over 180 curricula and 30 skill grades. She disclosed TVET’s revenue generation of 1.6 billion Br as a major achievement, describing it as "the first time in history."
However, only half of the 423,000 students targeted for this fiscal year enrolled in vocational institutions across 1,340 training centres. Vocational training results remain below expectations. Only 54pc of the 102,225 assessed students were deemed capable. From two million planned market-oriented training sessions, a modest 65pc were delivered.
“A lot of work is needed to make the youth capable,” Muferihat acknowledged.
The lack of job opportunities continues to drive thousands of university graduates toward desperate measures. MPs criticised the closure of vocational institutions due to shortages in materials and staffing. According to Tsehay Bekele (MP), the dire circumstances in Kenbata Woreda, Southern Regional State, where vocational centres struggle with severe resource shortages. Similar issues have led to the closure of a vocational institution in Dilla, in the same regional state.
Another legislator, Tadele Buraka, questioned the Ministry’s upbeat employment figures, stating persistent unemployment problems, particularly in the Gedeo Zone, where 13,000 remain unemployed without access to farmland.
“Despite the Ministry’s employment claims, unemployment is also proliferating,” he said.
Minister Muferihat did not respond directly to these criticisms.
PUBLISHED ON
Apr 21,2025 [ VOL
26 , NO
1304]
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