BY BETELHEM BEDLU
ADDIS ABABA– As part of the ongoing joint efforts of the Ethiopian government and pertinent institutions, some 1,900 Ethiopians have been repatriated from Tanzania Prisons in six months, so said Ethiopian ambassador to Tanzania.
During an interview with the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), Ethiopian Ambassador to Tanzania, Shibru Mamo stated that though 1,900 migrants have been repatriated, around 5,000 Ethiopian migrants who tried to enter South Africa using Malawi’s border are imprisoned in Tanzania.
Besides holding talks with pertinent officials to release imprisoned migrants, Ethiopian consulates in Tanzania undertakes several activities to ensure the human rights of Ethiopian migrants situated in various prisons in Tanzania are respected, he said.
Since majority of migration especially in Hadiya and Kembata Tembaro Zone emerges from lack of knowledge, awareness raising works are being done through conducting interview with returnees so that they would clarify the consequences.
Religious leaders, elderlies, government officials as well as parents need to play significant role to ensure attitudinal change in the society to curb the challenges of migration at grass root level.
Meanwhile, he indicated the efforts being put by the government to hold perpetrators of illegal human trafficking accountable adding that agreement has been reached with the countries to execute strict control work in the border between Kenya and Ethiopia, as well as on the border of Kenya and Tanzania.
While the government is intensifies its activities to repatriate the Ethiopian migrants from Tanzania in partnership with IOM, other activities will also be carried out to lessen illegal act through creating jobs, he underlined.
The Ethiopian Herald January 19/2023
