Addis Ababa, Sept. 1, 2026
Ethiopia has repatriated more than 98,900 nationals facing difficult conditions abroad over the past year under a government-led return initiative.
The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the coordinated repatriation exercise began on Sept. 15, 2025.
The ministry said 2,463 undocumented Ethiopians were repatriated from Saudi Arabia last week after being “stranded in difficult conditions”.
It said the government and humanitarian partners were providing returning citizens with support and care at temporary facilities.
The initiatives also seek to rehabilitate returnees and reunite them with their families, the ministry said.
In spite of government awareness campaigns on the dangers of human trafficking, thousands of Ethiopians are reportedly trafficked annually to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
Many of the migrants work mainly in the informal economy and face risks including imprisonment and other hardships.
Some also face life-threatening dangers while attempting to cross the Red Sea to reach Gulf countries through war-torn Yemen.
