Thousands of Ethiopian migrants quarantined in universities wait to go home

Thousands of Ethiopian migrants expelled from the Middle East and African countries are being quarantined in universities in a sign of the strain placed on vulnerable nations by mass deportations amid the coronavirus crisis.

Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Somalia and other countries have deported more than 5,000 illegal migrants to Ethiopia since April 1, according to the UN migration agency.

Health minister Lia Tadesse said Ethiopia was providing for the migrants — 13 of whom had tested positive for Covid-19 — and acknowledged concerns about spreading the virus to villages by sending them home.

“We are taking care of them and will continue to take care of them although, of course, it's demanding in many aspects,” said Tadesse by phone.

The UN has warned that mass expulsions of illegal migrants by Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia risks spreading the virus and overwhelming quarantine efforts.

An internal UN memo seen by Reuters said Saudi Arabia was expected to deport some 200,000 Ethiopian migrants in total.

Tadesse said that no migrants had been deported by Riyadh in the past week.

Ethiopia, which has around 110 million people, has only recorded 133 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and three deaths but experts say its public health system could swiftly be overwhelmed.

'PURVEYORS OF DISEASE'

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians are estimated to migrate illegally every year in search of better-paid work, mainly to Gulf Arab nations, where many end up exploited in homes as maids or on building sites.

Many of those now returning endured trauma and require medical attention. Tadesse said that medics and therapists were offering support.

Last month, a UN source told the Thomson Reuters Foundation hundreds of migrants who had recently returned from Djibouti were turned back by regional authorities after undergoing quarantine in the eastern city of Dire Dawa.

“There were some concerns among the regional governments about the quarantined returnees ... but this is now being handled through education and regional leadership,” Tadesse said.

After being quarantined for 14 days, over 1,000 migrants were sent home this week after testing negative for the virus, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“There has always been the fear that migrants are purveyors of disease, but the evidence does not bear this out at all,” said Maureen Achieng, IOM's chief of mission to Ethiopia, adding the agency was trying to combat stigma surrounding coronavirus in the region.

“We are trying to ensure that ... people begin to dissociate the disease from migrants.”