ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced on Thursday it has repatriated 154 nationals from war-torn Yemen.
In a press statement, MoFA said the 154 Ethiopians were repatriated on Wednesday evening in collaboration with the United Nations Migration Agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM).
MoFA further said another 168 Ethiopians were repatriated on Tuesday in collaboration with IOM, as part of ongoing efforts to safely return Ethiopian migrants stranded in Yemen. The Ethiopian nationals were using Yemen as a transit point to their final destination, Saudi Arabia.
Ethiopian migrants in Yemen reportedly face constant abuses by smugglers and other criminals, including arbitrary detention.
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.
