ADDIS ABABA, Nov.4 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced on Tuesday it has repatriated 408 of its nationals from war-torn Yemen.
In a press statement, MoFA said the 408 Ethiopians were repatriated in recent days in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration, Ethiopian Airlines and Ethiopia Department for Immigration and Nationality Affairs.
MoFA said the Ethiopian nationals had been serving prison sentences in Yemen and accused of unlawfully entering the country. The Ethiopian nationals were using Yemen as a transit point to their final destination, Saudi Arabia.
Every year, thousands of Ethiopians looking for better economic opportunities abroad are estimated to be trafficked through Somalia, Djibouti and the Red Sea to reach the Arabian Peninsula.
