ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government has repatriated more than 90,000 nationals who were facing dire conditions abroad over the past 11 months under an ongoing government-led initiative.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs said the Ethiopians were safely returned home in the latest round of a coordinated national repatriation initiative, which began on Sept. 15 last year.
As part of these coordinated efforts, more than 1,670 Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia were repatriated over the past week alone on eight dedicated flights, the ministry said.
It also noted ongoing efforts to support and rehabilitate returnees following their difficult and undocumented stays abroad, with awareness-raising campaigns underway to highlight the dangers of human trafficking, prevent irregular migration, and promote safe migration practices.
In addition to the risk of imprisonment and other hardships, Ethiopian migrants often face life-threatening dangers as they attempt to cross the perilous Red Sea route in hopes of reaching the Gulf countries through war-torn Yemen.
Despite government-led public awareness campaigns about the dangers of human trafficking, estimates indicate that thousands of Ethiopians are trafficked annually to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, where they mainly work in the informal economy. ■
