By Kudirat Oluboyo, Akure
…about 3,000 of them have been deported at the wake of covid-19
United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) Spokesman; Alemayelu Seifeselassie sayst the organisation has registered 2,870 Ethiopian returnees of which Saudi Arabia is responsible for sending 100 of them in the past 10 days.
Saudi Arabia keeps the Ethiopians in detention facilities before sending them to their country. However, while doing this, it is unclear whether the returnees are being screened for COVID-19 in their camped area.
A humanitarian worker that is aware of the deportation act gave the total number of Ethiopians being deported to their country as “about 3,000”.
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The Ethiopian government has hereby requested that the deportation be stopped until there are 30 quarantine centers in Addis Ababa.
“only seven quarantine centers can host returnees.” and “much work remains to make Ethiopian quarantine centers compliant with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.” Catherine Sozi; the UN humanitarian coordinator for Ethiopia, wrote in a position paper.
About the situation of the pandemic in Ethiopia, it is gathered that only 74 cases and 3 deaths have been recorded from COVID-19 in the country.
Saudi Arabia has been an escape place for Ethiopians to get away from their poor economic prospects and state repression. This is why in 2017 when officials in Saudi Arabia launched a crackdown on illegal migration almost half a million Ethiopians were affected, Says IOM.
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