Ethiopia has begun facilitating the repatriation of 1,971 of its citizens from Saudi Arabia after they were granted royal amnesty by the Kingdom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
In a press statement, the Ministry said it remains engaged with Saudi authorities on matters affecting Ethiopian nationals, including those facing legal proceedings and judicial measures.
Officials say the diplomatic and consular engagement resulted in humanitarian outcomes that enabled nearly 2000 Ethiopian nationals to benefit from royal amnesties, after which the government began facilitating their return home.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to employ all available diplomatic and consular channels to safeguard the interests, rights, and welfare of Ethiopian nationals abroad," reads the statement.
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Saudi Arabia hosts one of the largest Ethiopian migrant populations in the Middle East, many of whom travel for employment. Ethiopian authorities have carried out repeated repatriation operations in coordination with Saudi Arabia in recent years, while international organizations, including the International Organization for Migration, continue to document large-scale returns of Ethiopian migrants from the Kingdom under voluntary return, deportation, and humanitarian assistance programs.
