DUBAI: Ethiopian migr­ants who crossed the sea in pursuit of a better life have one goal in mind as they hide in the Saudi mountains: avoid border guards, and their deadly shots. Every phase of the journey is treacherous, but there are growing fears the final stretch over the Yem­eni highlands into southern Saudi Arabia has become more lethal than ever. Mohammed was still a teenager when he first made the journey from Ethi­o­pia to Saudi Arabia, travelling over land to Djibouti before hiding in a fishing boat for the sea crossing. Mohammed had a fairly straightforward trip over the border to Saudi Arabia, where his smuggler found him a job as a shepherd. Last year he raised the funds — roughly $2,500 — for a second passage to Saudi Arabia, but this time the trip was more harrowing, especially when he got to the Saudi-Yemeni border.

Source: Ethiopian News December 11, 2023 05:46 UTC