Foreign Secretary visits Ethiopia in bid to halt illegal migrationBritain will help Ethiopia to create more homegrown jobs in an effort to stop its people from making small boat crossings to the UK, Yvette Cooper has said. In her first visit to Africa as Foreign Secretary, Ms Cooper set out action to drive down the number of migrants arriving in the UK from Ethiopia and neighbouring nations. The region, known as the Horn of Africa, also includes Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan, and has become a key source of illegal migration towards the UK according to the Foreign Office. Elsewhere, the Foreign Secretary held discussions with the Ethiopian authorities on joint efforts to tackle the criminal gangs organising migration from the Horn of Africa into Europe and the UK. An ongoing civil war in Sudan is among the regional conflicts which have led to millions of people being displaced, and which are acting as a driver for illegal migration.

Source: Ethiopian News February 02, 2026 07:39 UTC