Netherlands Praises Ethiopia's Refugee Inclusion Policy

Addis Ababa, June 19, 2025 (ENA) --- The Netherlands highly commends Ethiopia's open-door policy and its progressive strides in refugee inclusion, a testament to the nation's commitment to humanitarian protection, Netherlands Embassy Regional Migration Coordinator Tiest Sondaal said.

The regional coordinator noted Ethiopia's pivotal role in hosting refugees, predominantly from neighboring countries, acknowledging the significant steps taken by the government to foster their inclusion.

"We very much recognize the important role that Ethiopia plays in hosting refugees," Sondaal stated, emphasizing Ethiopia's policy of offering protection to people in need.

He further detailed the concrete measures adopted by Ethiopia, which were showcased at a recent High-Level Dialogue on Refugee Inclusion held in Addis Ababa.

The High-Level Dialogue on Refugee Inclusion showed all the steps that the Ethiopian government is taking to foster refugee inclusion, from providing protection, issuing work permits to the national ID that provides refugees access to services.

So, we see very positive steps by the Ethiopian government to foster refugee inclusion on a host of issues, and it's something that we as the Dutch government support, Sondaal added.

Although there is a very difficult funding landscape with global cuts to humanitarian assistance and to development funding, the coordinator affirmed that the Netherlands remains a significant contributor.

"As the Netherlands, we're still a large contributor to humanitarian aid and development aid. We provide un-earmarked financing to UNHCR and other UN agencies so they can spend the money in those areas where the needs are the greatest."

Besides, the Netherlands actively engages in direct development programming, he pointed out.

"It's a partnership with UNHCR, UNICEF, ILO, the World Bank and IFC. We run that program in eight countries with a total budget of 800 million euros, including Ethiopia," Sondaal stated.

The program, which began in 2019 and was recently extended for another four years, has a "very active footprint here in Ethiopia, supporting urban refugees in Addis Ababa, refugees in host communities in Afar, Somali and Amhara regions."

The coordinator reaffirmed that the Netherlands is trying to do its very best to support Ethiopia's government in fostering refugee inclusion and contribute its fair share to make that happen.