Foreign residents are facing higher immigration fees and tighter regulations that have left many confused and alarmed. The Immigration & Citizenship Service (ICS) recently increased renewal costs and fees for resident cards issued to Ethiopian natives with foreign nationalities, part of a strategy officials say is designed to curb unlawful activities and unauthorised stays.
Critics, however, contend that the measures have caused unexpected delays and exorbitant penalties for those who inadvertently fail to comply.
An American citizen who has lived in Ethiopia for over a decade, and a member of the Jamaican Rastafari Development Community, applied for an Ethiopian Origin ID, commonly referred to as a “yellow card”, three years ago. She had been promised the card within three months of applying, and other community members informed her that they did not need to renew their visas while awaiting the ID. Instead, it took years for her to obtain the card. When she finally did, she was hit with a penalty of two million Birr for overstaying, in addition to the 41,000 Br fee for the ID.
Describing the fees as “overly expensive”, her experience exposes a system characterised by inconsistencies and long waits. The Jamaican Rastafari Development Community, comprised of about 600 individuals awaiting IDs, claims many of its members encountered similar dilemmas, finding themselves overstaying while waiting for the paperwork they believed would be processed in a matter of months.
The higher fees followed two sets of regulations issued by the Council of Ministers.
The first, published on July 7, 2024, raised service charges across several categories, while the second, issued on October 23, 2024, revised parts of a 2005 immigration law and broadened the scope of penalties for noncompliance.
According to immigration officials, these steps will enable more effective monitoring of foreign nationals staying in Ethiopia, particularly those they accuse of operating businesses without legal permits or engaging in illicit practices such as trafficking, smuggling, and document forgery. Officials say they have encountered numerous cases of individuals forging local identity cards or working in sectors restricted to nationals, making rigorous enforcement their priority.
Business communities abroad say the new rules risk discouraging foreign investments and thinning the ranks of skilled expatriates. According to Ma Tang, the Secretary of the China Chamber of Commerce in Ethiopia, the number of Chinese workers in the country has dropped from nearly 100,000 to around 8,000.
While he attributed some of the decline to other factors, the time-consuming and costly process of renewing work permits remains a major barrier.
“The environment has become unwelcoming,” he told Fortune. "It can take up to five or six months to secure the necessary documentation, often leaving businesses uncertain about their labour force."
Penalties for overstaying visas beyond their expiry dates have also soared, from five dollars a day to 30 dollars. This has prompted some Chinese entrepreneurs to consider relocating operations to neighbouring Tanzania, which they find more accommodating.
An Ethiopian diaspora also voiced frustration after the fee to renew her Ethiopian Origin ID, which used to be 200 dollars, rose to 300 dollars. She was charged a 100-dollar penalty for being one month late. She did not anticipate such a hike for a document intended to promote connections between Ethiopia and those with Ethiopian heritage. For many diaspora members, the higher fees feel like a deterrent rather than an incentive to maintain their ties to the country.
Sudanese nationals, particularly refugees, have found themselves in similarly difficult situations. One Sudanese refugee, identified as Mohammed Hatim, said he has been jobless for two years and is struggling to cover the cost of maintaining his family’s visas, which now amount to 500 dollars a month, equivalent to his rent. Previously, the Ethiopian government had provided Sudanese refugees with a seven-month exemption on visa renewals, but those fees resumed last October, compounding his financial strains.
The Refugee & Returnee Service (RRS) is mandated to issue refugee IDs within six months, granting refugees legal status and the right to work. Mohammed claims the process can stretch indefinitely, leaving families in limbo.
However, Ethiopia has shown progress in certain immigration metrics. It now claims 19th rank on the African Visa Openness Index (AVOI), up from 46th the previous year, mainly due to visa-on-arrival policies extended to citizens of 46 countries. Nonetheless, the federal government has tightened requirements for travellers from some of its neighbours, including Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan. It allows nationals from these countries to enter and stay for up to nine days without a visa, with options for a three-month visa on arrival for those who wish to stay longer.
ICS officials defended the renewed vigilance, alleging a rise in foreign nationals setting up unauthorised large-scale operations or engaging in money transfers beyond regulatory oversight. They impose fines of 3,000 dollars in addition to a daily penalty for those who overstay their visas by up to three years, and a 5,000-dollar fine for stays exceeding three years. Transit visas that pass their legitimate period also carry a 3,000-dollar penalty aside from daily fines.
A human rights lawyer, Temelso Gashaw, contended that denying official status to refugees who have adequately registered conflicts with Ethiopia's law. He argued that inconsistent enforcement only exacerbates the burdens on vulnerable populations.
Others are worried about the economic ramifications.
According to Samson Tsedeke, founder of MultiLink Consulting, rising immigration fees contribute to the decline in the number of foreign workers. He also attributed the fall to the lack of new projects and the suspension of existing ones. The Ministry of Labour & Skills has begun stricter enforcement of rules barring foreigners from taking on low-skill jobs.
PUBLISHED ON
Dec 29,2024 [ VOL
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