Gov’t of Ethiopia committed to halt irregular migration

Addis Ababa, June 27, 2024 (FBC) – Ministry of Justice reiterated government’s commitment for better migration management, implementation of international agreements  and laws to halt irregular migration.

The Second Annual National Conference on Migration Research opened today in Addis Ababa.

The two-day conference is organized by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Justice in cooperation with GIZ and Save the Children.

Opening the conference, Justice State Minister, Mr. Belayhun Yirga, underscored the significance of research to feed accurate decision making on migration management and response to crimes in the field.

The state minister reiterated government’s commitment for better migration management and implementation of international agreements and domestic laws to halt irregular migration and respond to illegal acts.

He pointed out that the government has also been encouraging legal migration to different countries as part of the efforts to a better management and response to irregular migration.

Ministry of Labor and Skills has facilitated employment opportunities abroad for more than 300,000 citizens this fiscal year, it was pointed out.

The government, in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, has been working in the repatriation of Ethiopian migrants and reintegration activities at home. In the past five years, at least 500,000 Ethiopian migrants were repatriated, it was indicated.

The state minister also stated that government has been taking strong measures in establishing executive bodies, coordinating stakeholders, approving international laws and enacting domestic laws, taking law enforcement measures against criminals.

At least, a dozen of law frameworks, including the constitution are in effect to govern and respond to migration and the crimes related to the field in Ethiopia, it was learned.

Ministry of Education Research and Extension Desk Head, Mr. Serawit Handiso, emphasized the importance of ensuring research findings, not just in migration but across all fields, are directly applicable to real-world decision-making.

To solve this challenge the desk at the ministry is coordinating the compilation of research findings for decision makers.

To address the challenge of impracticality, the Ministry’s research unit is actively synthesizing research findings from various sources to equip decision-makers with the necessary information.

According to him, most of the researches especially conducted in migration in Ethiopia lack institutional support, and are impractical to incorporate in decision making, as reported by ENA.

The First National Conference on Migration Research was held in Wachamo University in the Central Ethiopia region last year.

Ethiopia is a complex migration hub, serving as a country of origin, transit, and destination for refugees with a vast network for migration management, including 29 migration zones, 14 border exit gates, and 135 transit points, and irregular migration is prevalent in several regions, including Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Central Ethiopia, and Sidama, it was indicated.