ADDIS ABABA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has begun repatriating its nationals from Saudi Arabia, with 842 of them returning home on Friday, according to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The official process of repatriating undocumented Ethiopian nationals who were held in prisons and detention centers in Saudi Arabia commenced today," the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Birtukan Ayano said a week ago that the repatriation, the third of such a program since 2018, would target "70,000 Ethiopians who are in a difficult situation."

The returnees received a warm welcome at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, and they were escorted to their accommodation centers, where they underwent medical examinations and were provided with food and other supplies, the statement said.

According to the statement, a national committee of 16 high-level government officials is deployed in Saudi Arabia to facilitate the repatriation process.

The government plans to repatriate undocumented Ethiopian nationals from Saudi Arabia on 12 weekly flights over the next four months, the ministry said.

According to the ministry, there are an estimated 750,000 Ethiopians living in Saudi Arabia, 450,000 of whom are believed to be undocumented. Enditem

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