By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Ethiopian Ministry of Women and Social Affairs has signed a new agreement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support the safe return and reintegration of Ethiopian migrants.
The signing happened in Addis Ababa during the annual meeting of the National Migration Council. The Council’s chair, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, emphasized the need for coordinated action. Huria Ali, the State Minister of Women and Social Affairs, signed the deal on behalf of the government. Top officials from local administrations, regional states, and federal ministries attended the ceremony.
The growing migration crisis coincides with the new agreement. Thousands of Ethiopians, many of whom are children, still put their lives in danger to find employment overseas, frequently taking perilous routes through South Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya.
On February 19, 2024, Kenyan police stopped a truck carrying 90 Ethiopian migrants—37 adult men and 53 children, including a 10-year-old—in Loitokitok, close to the Tanzanian border. In a different incident, more than 100 Ethiopians were detained in early 2025 as they were being transported from Kenya to Tanzania.
Tanzania is in no better shape. More than 5,000 Ethiopians were detained under the nation’s immigration laws between 2020 and 2023, and many of them received prison sentences ranging from one to six years. In the Njombe region, police arrested 63 migrants during Easter 2025; 40 others reportedly ran away following a truck accident.
South Africa is also another major destination where many Ethiopians experience the brunt of illegal migrations. 26 Ethiopians, many of whom were abused and naked, were taken from a Johannesburg home by police on January 10, 2025. Three suspects were taken into custody after a total of about 60 were discovered.
The Ethiopian government has stepped up its repatriation efforts in response to these realities. Through Moyale, 287 inmates were sent home from 18 prisons in Kenya in March 2025. That was only one aspect of a broader initiative led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that resulted in the return of 33,000 Ethiopians over the course of six months.
Migration to the Gulf, meanwhile, continues to be a serious issue. Thousands attempt the perilous trek toward Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states across deserts and the Red Sea, frequently ending in abuse, incarceration, or death. Over 170,000 Ethiopians were deported by Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2014. That figure has exceeded half a million since 2017, with up to 10,000 deportations occurring in some months.
In 2013, Ethiopia responded by temporarily prohibiting labor migration to Gulf states. This was later replaced by bilateral labor agreements that permitted migration to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Jordan. These agreements gave workers legal protections and made travel routes safer.
Waves of repatriation efforts have persisted. A significant agreement between Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia in March 2022 resulted in the repatriation of more than 100,000 undocumented migrants.
Through a concerted effort, over 131,000 people had returned by April 2023, with the IOM offering assistance with family reunification and humanitarian relief. More than 27,000 Ethiopians were repatriated from Saudi Arabia in May 2024 alone, with many of them traveling on daily flights arranged by the government and IOM.
According to reports, approximately 130,000 migrants from South Africa and the Gulf were repatriated between late 2023 and early 2024. Since 2020, the IOM has also assisted in the repatriation of almost 20,000 Ethiopians from Tanzania, Djibouti, and Yemen. However, the problem still exists.
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