Only fraction of undocumented Ethiopians in Saudi secure visas as deadline for amnesty approaches

ESAT News (May 29, 2017)

Saudi Arabia issued exit visas to 40,000 undocumented Ethiopians to exit the Kingdom legally but the status of the over 700,000 undocumented laborers is still not clear.

As the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the issuance of the exit visas, hundreds of thousands Ethiopians refused to leave the Kingdom uncertain about what would happen to them if they go back to their country. Economic hardship and political persecution are two factors that forced these immigrants to work as daily laborers and domestic workers in middle eastern countries.

Meanwhile Saudi and Ethiopia announced that they have signed a bilateral agreement for the latter to train send domestic workers to the Kingdom.

The Ethiopian government has been accused of not standing up for citizens who face mistreatment, physical abuse and even rape and killings by their employers.

Ethiopians who spoke to ESAT from Saudi Arabia last week say they are not getting the support from their government, when they needed it most, as the deadline for the Kingdom’s amnesty to undocumented immigrants to leave the country expires at the end of June. They accused that Ethiopian Embassy in Saudi Arabia refuse services to those who deem opposition to the government.

The Kingdom’s 90 day amnesty to undocumented workers to leave the country and return legally will expire at the end of June. Saudi authorities warn that those who do not heed to the amnesty will face deportations.