185 Ethiopians stranded in Djibouti return home – Official

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Friday announced that all the 185 Ethiopian migrants who were stranded in neighbouring Djibouti while being trafficked, have been returned home.

In a press statement, the Spokesperson Office of the Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), said the Ethiopian migrants were being trafficked on route to Arabian Peninsula countries when they became stranded in Djibouti.

The ministry said the 185 Ethiopian migrants were repatriated home with the help of the International Organization for Migration and the Ethiopian embassy in Djibouti.

It is estimated thousands of Ethiopians are trafficked to Djibouti every year on transit to reach the Arabian Peninsula.

Many of the Ethiopians are subsequently arrested for illegal entry spending months and in some cases years in Djiboutian prisons.