Ethiopia : Government Says No Eritreans Arrested Illegally

Borkena

Toronto – The FDRE Immigration and Citizenship Service (ICS) on Friday stated that “there are no Eritreans who are arrested in Ethiopia without due process of the law.”

The response came about two weeks after reports of alleged abuses of Eritreans in the country. The report, which was also published on Borkena, highlighted claims that Eritreans have been subjected to mass arbitrary arrests. It included allegations such as a case where an Eritrean man visiting his sister at a prison facility was himself arrested. 

Related : Eritreans in Ethiopia Report Harassment, Including Arbitrary Arrests

In a statement shared on its social media page on Friday, ICS alleged that Eritreans who entered Ethiopia illegally have overstayed their legal limit and engaged in sectors prohibited for foreign nationals.

The agency further claimed that some Eritreans were involved in illicit trade and other unlawful activities.

The Ethiopian government asserted that legal action is being taken against “foreign nationals who are engaged in illegal practices that threaten the country’s national security.” However, the statement clarified that there is no “deportation or arrest targeting Eritrean nationals.”

Ethiopia’s ICS also emphasized that it has repeatedly called on Eritreans who entered the country illegally to register and legalize their presence. Despite this, the agency said only a small number have complied.

The government alleged that Eritreans without residence permits have used fraudulent identities to engage in “work sectors that are not allowed to foreign nationals.” These activities reportedly range from running small retail stores to operating larger businesses.

“Many Eritreans pretend as if they are visiting relatives in Ethiopia and make frequent trips between Dubai, Eritrea, and Uganda to import various items and engage in contraband trade,” the ICS stated.

The government also accused some Eritreans of working with illegal brokers and participating in human trafficking.

Additionally, it claimed that certain Eritreans were involved in creating fraudulent travel documents, forged stamps, and fake bank books to facilitate criminal activities, including the illegal circulation of money.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has been urging “an end to arbitrary arrests and harassment of Eritreans.”

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