RRS reiterates commitment to provide necessary services to refugees, asylum seekers

Addis Ababa, December 12, 2024 (FMC) – Ethiopia’s Refugees and Returnee Service (RRS) has reiterated its continued commitment to provide necessary support and services to refugees and asylum seekers in accordance with the FDRE Refugee Proclamation 1110/2019 and continental and global agreements and principles.

RRS reasserted this commitment in a press release communicated on its social media page this morning regarding recent media reports which it referred them as fake and baseless regarding Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in Ethiopia.

In its statement, RRS reminded that Ethiopia currently hosting over 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers from 26 countries that have fled natural and man-made calamities.

According to the statement, the majority of these refugees come from neighboring countries such as South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea.

“This being the reality on the ground, the latest media reports about Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers protected in Ethiopia to be subject of arbitrary arrest and detention are not true,” RRS noted in its statement.

RRS asserted that reports circulated by local and international media outlets, alleging that “arbitrary arrest and detention are targeting Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers residing in the country,” are unfounded and baseless.

According to an assessment carried out by RRS in response to the media reports, refugees bearing legal status have not been subject to any form of arrest and detention.

“In case refugees are arrested and detained for violating the country’s laws and regulations, RRS will keep an eye on the matter in collaboration with relevant authorities,” RRS statement further indicated.

In a related development, the media report claiming that refugee registration has been suspended is far from the truth. On the contrary, Refugees and Returnee Service is giving the service to those who meet the asylum criteria without any discrimination whatsoever, the Service asserted.

“At RRS, vital events registration and the issuance of certificates and refugee ID cards are being carried out in a strengthened and organized manner far way better than ever before, “ it was indicated

“Given that it is the mandate of the state to respond to the needs of those seeking asylum in accordance with FDRE refugee proclamation 1110/2019, continental and global agreements and principles, the Government of Ethiopia and relevant partners have been providing and continue to provide the necessary support and service to refugees and asylum seekers,” RRS further reiterated.