Ethiopia to Repatriate 70,000 Nationals from Saudi Arabia: A Story of Resilience and Hope

Ethiopia is set to repatriate around 70,000 of its nationals living in Saudi Arabia starting in early April. The move, the third such programme since 2018, aims to help “Ethiopians in a difficult situation”.

The repatriation will include flight tickets, temporary holding at transition centers in Addis Ababa, and some money to restart life. Ethiopia currently hosts about 917,000 refugees from neighboring countries, with four million displaced due to the country’s own conflicts and environmental hardships.

The Ethiopian Refugees and Returnees Service (RSS) estimates that four million Ethiopians have been displaced due to the nation’s own conflicts and environmental hardships.

In March 2022, Addis Ababa struck a deal with Riyad to repatriate over 100,000 of its nationals, following allegations of Saudi Arabia mistreating foreign laborers by rights groups.