Although migration to other countries in search of employment is posing an international problem, the issue of Ethiopian citizens crossing boarders and flocking to Middle Eastern countries in particular has become a matter of deep concern in recent years. Most of the migrants involved are young girls from the hinterland with little or no exposure to city life. This makes them vulnerable to all sorts of abuses, including rape, physical torture and inhumane treatments of an unexpected nature.
Their fates are jeopardised even further by those human traffickers who try to tempt them to take the risk of being squeezed into an unventilated container and transported all the way to the unknown coasts of neighbouring countries. Here, other human traders will take over and let them loose to their fate somewhere across the arid land. More often than not, they pay money to sailors of fishing boats to cross the sea at the brink of death, despite being well aware of the perils of such voyages and the fact that the boats could capsize any moment, even before they could cross the sea.
Even then, they could fall into the hands of watching men.
Even those migrants who succeed in making it across the sea legally, with all the human rights giving them the liberty to migrate and seek employment anywhere, are often made to work for the better part of the day for only around five dollars. This is simply dirt cheap when compared to the standard daily labour cost in these Middle Eastern countries. Perhaps that much money can not be earned in their own country, not only because of the country’s total income level, but also because of the very low exchange rate of the currency.
As anywhere in the world, Ethiopian migrant workers have every right to be humanely treated as long as they are selling their labour according to the laws of that country. One should not lose sight of the fact that there are differences in culture and language.
Ethiopians may have crossed boarders in search of jobs and better incomes. But they are still the descendants of those mighty people whose kingdoms used to include part of the Middle Eastern countries; a country which was blessed by Prophet Mohammed for being one of his closest friends and among the most hospitable people in this part of the world.
We know that the age old reciprocity is still vibrant and going strong. If for any convincing reason migrating people from Ethiopia are not welcome, it should be the responsibility of the host country to repatriate them honourably.
No country can be forced to accept migrants by force. Should, however, that country agree and accept a given number of migrating workers, their rights in terms of working hours, wages and fringe benefits, should be respected based on international standards deemed acceptable by both parties.
Chasing away by force and tormenting these young girls is not only inhumane, but also illegal. Ethiopians in the Diaspora have taken to the streets in many countries of the world to protest against such inhumane acts.
At the time of writing this, over 100,000 Ethiopians have been safely repatriated to their country. A couple of weeks ago, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Tewodros Adhanom (PhD), expressed that his heart is out there with his fellow countrymen and women who are being mistreated in the host countries.
He made a passionate speech during a ceremony. It was not only unusual for an official of his calibre these days, but a welcome gesture that he is a man of the people.
The Ethiopian government has expressed its deep concern about its citizens being mistreated in some of the Middle Eastern countries. An amount of over 50 million Birr has been allocated to finance some of the expenses required for the Ethiopians being repatriated. Even if that much money could be allocated to start up the rehabilitation emergency programme that is just peanuts in the light of the required expenses that lay ahead.
Young man and woman who have been vulnerable to all sorts of human trafficking impacts will have to return to their homes empty handed. Regardless of their wishes and aspirations, undoubtedly they will be feeling heavy hearted to find themselves in such unexpected circumstances.
Taking to the streets of the big cities could be one method of voicing the plights of the victimised Ethiopian migrants. But that is only part of the whole story.
The vital issue would be finding lasting solutions for the basic problems that contribute to the plight and flight of the migrants. The question should, therefore, lie on why these youngsters leave their country in the first place.
It must be clear that there is no short cut to a successful life. Crossing the Red Sea or the Mediterranean Sea is risky. Even if they succeed in making the journey, they have to have the basic knowledge and experience necessary to cope with the foreign culture and lifestyle. In their effort to escape poverty, there is the chance that they could even be thrown out of windows by their temperamental employers.
Serving as a housekeeper or a maid is only a temporary employment to get some money intended to be of use to parents or members of the family who are also desperately poor but hoping. This country is endowed with natural resources, like land and water.
Young men and women are also potential resources. By exhausting all possible efforts to make good use of these resources together in combination, it may be possible to find some solutions. Thus, the solution lies in putting together all the available resources and utilising them in a productive manner.
Leave a Reply