ADDIS ABABA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government announced on Wednesday that it has begun repatriating Ethiopian nationals who were serving long-term prison sentences in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some 340 nationals have safely returned home after their prison sentences were rescinded following intensive bilateral negotiations between the governments of the two countries.
"Through our citizen-centric diplomacy, the ministry will continue to strengthen its efforts to ensure the safety of our citizens facing similar challenges in various countries by engaging with the respective governments," said Berhanu Tsegaye, Ethiopia's state minister of foreign affairs.
The repatriation of the 340 nationals, who were said to have been serving sentences of up to eight years in the Middle Eastern country, came after a government-led diplomatic initiative recently secured amnesty for more than 1,660 imprisoned Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Tsegaye urged citizens "to fully understand the harsh reality of illegal migration and to choose legal pathways that protect their dignity and rights while enabling them to support their families and contribute to their country."
According to the state minister, the Ethiopian government is currently undertaking "extensive efforts" to establish legal employment agreements with Middle Eastern countries, aiming to protect the rights and benefits of Ethiopian workers.
Despite a growing economy and 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 are mainly employed in the informal sector.
In addition to imprisonment and various other hardships, desperate Ethiopian migrants often face life-threatening challenges as they attempt to cross the perilous Red Sea route, hoping to reach the Middle East via war-torn Yemen. Enditem
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