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Over 450,000 Ethiopian migrants detained in Saudi Arabia

Ethiopian delegation led by Birtukan Ayano, State Minister for Ministry of Foreign Affairs when they met with Saudi delegation led by Deputy Minister for Consular Affairs Ali Al-Yousef in Riyadh and exchanged views on ways to repatriate undocumented migrants from Saudi Arabia.

By Hanifa Adan | 11 Apr 2024

Reports of torture, deaths in custody, and a lack of medical attention have raised concerns among human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Saudi Arabia currently detains over 450,000 Ethiopian migrants, highlighting the dire situation undocumented migrants face in the country.

Saudi Arabia hosts about 750,000 Ethiopian migrants, with about 60% (450,000) likely to have travelled to the country through irregular means.

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Amid this crisis, a recent visit by an Ethiopian government delegation led by State Minister Birtukan Ayano to detention centres across Saudi Arabia has provided a glimmer of hope for thousands of these migrants, who have highlighted their plight.

The official process to repatriate approximately 70,000 nationals is expected to commence in the coming weeks, following Saudi Arabia's commitment to supporting the return of thousands of Ethiopians detained there this month.

Among the detainees, hundreds are held at the Al-Shumaisi Detention Centre, a facility established to detain individuals who violate residency and labour regulations. Despite its capacity to accommodate 32,000 inmates, the centre currently holds a significant number of Ethiopian migrants.

Saudi Arabia hosts around 750,000 Ethiopian migrants, with the majority estimated to have entered irregularly. Despite efforts to deport undocumented migrants, thousands remain detained after serving sentences, pleading for assistance, and enduring dire conditions within the detention centres.

Reports of torture, deaths in custody, and a lack of medical attention have raised concerns among human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW).

In December 2020, the human rights body released a report revealing that deplorable conditions are holding hundreds of migrants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The detainees, primarily from Ethiopia but also from other African and Asian countries, are being held pending deportation due to their lack of valid residency permits.

According to HRW's investigation, guards using rubber-coated metal rods are torturing and beating the migrants in severely overcrowded rooms.

The organisation documented at least three allegations of deaths in custody between October and November. HRW conducted interviews with seven Ethiopians under custody and two Indians facing deportation, all of whom recounted their confinement in cramped rooms alongside up to 350 others.

The report highlights the dire conditions faced by migrants in Saudi Arabia and calls for improved treatment and protections for detainees.

Saudi authorities have not taken any concrete action, despite repeated calls for investigations.