Ethiopia commences plans to repatriate 70,000 citizens from Saudi Arabia
About 70,000 Ethiopians will return from Saudi Arabia following government plans to reintroduce its citizens to their roots.
The move which is projected to take effect in April is aimed at rescuing citizens who have been living under hostile conditions abroad.
State Minister Birtukan Ayano said the repatriation is the third of such a programme since 2018 and will help Ethiopians find themselves struggling to resettle in their native home areas.
Birtukan further noted that the necessary budget, logistics, and shelters will be prepared for the returnees.
Director General of Refugees and Returnees which is in charge of managing displacement in the country noted that regional administrations will ensure that the repatriation is successful.
These 70,000 persons will add to the budgetary constraints of resettling millions of displaced persons in Ethiopia. This includes over 4 million internally displaced people including those who fled Tigray during the internal war and haven’t returned, according to The EastAfrican.
Repatriation expenses will include flight tickets, temporary holding at transition centres in Addis Ababa, fare to travel back to their native regions, and some money to restart life, the report further noted.
In 2022, Reuters reported that some over 1,000 migrants were repatriated from Saudi Arabia.
