Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia Collaborate to Prevent Illegal Migration

Addis Ababa, August 12/2020(ENA)The Governments of Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia are working jointly to find a lasting solution to avert illegal migration, Ethiopian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia disclosed. 

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians continue to cross the red sea to find job in Saudi Arabia each year.

Ambassador Abdulaziz Ahmed told ENA that out of the total number of Ethiopians who arrive in Saudi Arabia, 80 percent enter to that country crossing the dangerous sea from Djibouti to Yemen.  

Over 16,000 Ethiopians have travelled to Saudi Arabia via Yemen just in the concluded Ethiopian budget year, the Ambassador revealed.

Ethiopians who attempt to travel along this illegal route face a great deal of anguish at every step of their journey, he added.

According to the Ambassador, the two governments have reached to a common understanding to work together in order to curb and find a lasting solution to the problem.

A number of consultations have been held to discuss on the matter, the Ambassador said adding that currently the two governments are working on a joint plan and preparing an agreement to work together aimed at mitigating the illegal migration.

Based on the agreement, the two nations will implement strategies that would help prevent the illegal migration, beginning from this year.

They will also look for alternatives to help the migrants become self- sufficient in places of their origin by identifying the major locations of the migrants, in addition to rehabilitating migrants who have been returning from Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Abdulaziz stated.

Furthermore, the Ambassador pointed out that his Embassy is working to repatriate Ethiopians living in Saudi Arabia in partnership with pertinent actors besides the preventive measures being undertaken to mitigate illegal migration.

According to him, more than 200,000 Ethiopians have returned to their country from Saudi Arabia in the past two years.