Addis Ababa, March 22, 2022 (Walta) – A high-level Ethiopian government delegation is facilitating the repatriation of Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia living in a dire situation in the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Dina Mufti told ENA that the repatriation will begin before the start of Ramadan.
He added that the government is working closely with its counterpart in Saudi Arabia with a view to repatriating the Ethiopians within a short period of time.
The high-level Ethiopian government delegation is expected to facilitate the repatriation process, he said.
In his media briefing last week, Ambassador Dina stated that 35,000 Ethiopians living in difficult conditions in Saudi Arabia have registered to be repatriated.
A Ministerial Committee has been established to facilitate the repatriation and rehabilitation of more than 100,000 Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia.
Besides reuniting returnees with their families, the government in partnership with partners would reinstate and rehabilitate the returnees in a sustainable manner, it was indicated.
Some 750,000 Ethiopians are now living in Saudi Arabia of whom 450,000 are suspected to reside in the country without proper legal documents.