The Ethiopian government has confirmed the repatriation of 287 of its nationals who were detained across 18 prisons in neighbouring Kenya.
The repatriated 287 Ethiopian nationals were detained by Kenyan police after entering the country illegally, as they were attempting to reach South Africa after being lured by human traffickers, the Ethiopian Embassy in Kenya disclosed in a statement.
The Ethiopian nationals successfully returned home on Wednesday via land transport through the Moyale border crossing-point, following the embassy’s close collaboration with Kenyan authorities to facilitate their release and return, it was noted.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), thousands of Ethiopians embark each year on dangerous irregular journeys through the illegal migration route in the south, with the hope of reaching South Africa.
The illegal migrants, lured by human traffickers, often travel through Kenya, Tanzania, and other Southern African nations in their attempt to reach their final destination. In addition to imprisonment and various other hurdles, desperate Ethiopian migrants often encounter many deadly calamities in these irregular journeys.
In January this year, the Ethiopian government announced the repatriation of about 33,000 nationals from various foreign countries in six months. The repatriated illegal migrants were said to be facing dire conditions.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ongoing large-scale repatriation effort is part of the Ethiopian government’s “citizen-centered” diplomatic commitment to bringing home its nationals stranded in difficult situations abroad.
MG/as/APA