Tigrayans Deported From Saudi to Ethiopia Detained, Abused - HRWEthiopian authorities have arbitrarily detained, mistreated, and forcibly removed thousands of ethnic Tigrayans who were recently deported from Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch has said. The lobby group has urged Saudi Arabia to stop holding Tigrayans in abhorrent conditions and deporting them to Ethiopia, and instead help the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees by providing them with international protection. Nadia Hardman, a refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, has said that Tigrayan migrants who have experienced horrific abuse in Saudi Arabian custody, are being kept in detention facilities on their return to Ethiopia. In January 2021, the Ethiopian government announced it would cooperate in the repatriation of 40,000 of its nationals detained in Saudi Arabia, beginning with 1,000 returnees per week. The conflict triggered threats of international sanctions after the Ethiopian government suspended some aid organisations and reports of human rights violations emerged.

Source: Ethiopian News January 05, 2022 11:09 UTC