ERITREA-ETHIOPIA:
"Silent crisis" as more Eritreans flee
05 August, 2011 | IRIN
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More and more Eritrean refugees, mostly educated young men,
continue to arrive in Ethiopia, with the UN Refugee Agency,
UNHCR, expressing concern over the rising numbers.
"Most say they left their country [to avoid] a prolonged military
conscription, but they also say they want to join their families on the
road," Moses Okello, UNHCR’s representative in Ethiopia, told
IRIN.
Ethiopia hosts at least 61,000 Eritrean refugees.
On average, 1,300 Eritreans leave their country for Ethiopia every
month, according to government statistics.
"The trend seems non-stop and yet increasing," according to Ayalew
Aweke, the deputy director of the government’s Administration for
Refugees and Returnee Affairs (ARRA).
Ayalew said: "We are receiving additional refugees of between 1,200-
1,500 every month. Most of them are unaccompanied youngsters."
Disputed numbers
UNHCR, however, says about 800 to 1,000 Eritreans reached
Ethiopian refugee camps in Shimelba, Maiaini and Adi-Harush in
Tigray Regional state every month.
Ayalew said: "UNHCR’s figure does not include the number of
refugees coming [through] other entry points from the usual 17
[official] ones."
According to ARRA, some Eritreans come to Ethiopia after passing
through other countries such as Sudan and Djibouti.
Kisut Gebregziabher, the UNHCR spokesman in Ethiopia, said: "At
the moment, we are counting those that are screened and have
refugee status in refugee centres. But we expect to have a relatively
acceptable number, once they reach camps and get their status.”
However, Ayalew said to ascertain the exact number of Eritrean
refugees was difficult because most of the refugees are nomadic and
ethnic Afar. The Afar are also found in Ethiopia.
"They tend to live with the host community rather than coming to
refugee centres," Ayalew said.
Gebregziabher said UNHCR had noticed an "unusual trend" among
the new arrivals of Eritrean refugees.
"We usually see women and children dominating when it comes to
refugees; the case of Eritrean refugees is different, they are mainly
young, educated, single men."
He added that most of them came from an urban background, with
high-school diplomas and above.
Gebregziabher attributed the shift to their trying to avoid conscription.
During a visit in July, the UN Assistant High Commissioner for
Refugees, Erika Feller, said she was "alarmed and shocked" to see "a
sea of young faces" and "youth denied for so many people".
According to ARRA statistics, more than 55 percent of these
Eritreans are between 18 and 30 years old.
"Most of them are not ready to spend time in refugee camps and that
is why we are working on an out-of-camp policy aggressively,”
Ayalew said.
In 2010, the Ethiopian government allowed Eritrean refugees to live in
urban areas, a move intended to improve their access to services. The
policy allowed more than 200 Eritrean students to continue their
studies in Ethiopian universities.
“For this year, the same chance will be given to 700 students, after
taking a proper entrance exam,” Ayalew said.
Gebregziabher said some of the Eritrean students would be entering
universities through a cost-sharing agreement supported by UNHCR.
Resettlement options
According to UNHCR, voluntary repatriation is not an option at the
moment. Gebregziabher said the agency would pursue "resettlement
as the only durable solution for Eritrean refugees. In fact, those who
came before 2008 are expected to benefit from the resettlement
programme offered by the United States," he said.
In 2008, the US government agreed to receive 6,800 Eritrean
refugees from various camps in Ethiopia.
"Over 2,000 Eritrean refugees have been resettled in the US so far,”
Gebregziabher said. "This programme is expected to continue
operating."
According to Feller, resettlement placements offered by different
countries were limited. However, she said the refugee agency would
continue to advocate for an increase in resettlement opportunities.
Apart from the US, Canada, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand and
Australia have shown interest in resettling Eritrean refugees.
Courtesy
"Silent crisis" as more Eritreans flee
05 August, 2011 | IRIN
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More and more Eritrean refugees, mostly educated young men,
continue to arrive in Ethiopia, with the UN Refugee Agency,
UNHCR, expressing concern over the rising numbers.
"Most say they left their country [to avoid] a prolonged military
conscription, but they also say they want to join their families on the
road," Moses Okello, UNHCR’s representative in Ethiopia, told
IRIN.
Ethiopia hosts at least 61,000 Eritrean refugees.
- UNHCR has described the latest
Eritrean refugee influx as a "silent
crisis", coming at a time when the
Horn of Africa has been gripped by
the worst drought in 60 years.
- Okello said those arriving were in
good condition compared with
thousands of Somali refugees in
Ethiopia's Dolo Ado area in the
southeast.
On average, 1,300 Eritreans leave their country for Ethiopia every
month, according to government statistics.
"The trend seems non-stop and yet increasing," according to Ayalew
Aweke, the deputy director of the government’s Administration for
Refugees and Returnee Affairs (ARRA).
Ayalew said: "We are receiving additional refugees of between 1,200-
1,500 every month. Most of them are unaccompanied youngsters."
Disputed numbers
UNHCR, however, says about 800 to 1,000 Eritreans reached
Ethiopian refugee camps in Shimelba, Maiaini and Adi-Harush in
Tigray Regional state every month.
Ayalew said: "UNHCR’s figure does not include the number of
refugees coming [through] other entry points from the usual 17
[official] ones."
According to ARRA, some Eritreans come to Ethiopia after passing
through other countries such as Sudan and Djibouti.
Kisut Gebregziabher, the UNHCR spokesman in Ethiopia, said: "At
the moment, we are counting those that are screened and have
refugee status in refugee centres. But we expect to have a relatively
acceptable number, once they reach camps and get their status.”
However, Ayalew said to ascertain the exact number of Eritrean
refugees was difficult because most of the refugees are nomadic and
ethnic Afar. The Afar are also found in Ethiopia.
"They tend to live with the host community rather than coming to
refugee centres," Ayalew said.
Gebregziabher said UNHCR had noticed an "unusual trend" among
the new arrivals of Eritrean refugees.
"We usually see women and children dominating when it comes to
refugees; the case of Eritrean refugees is different, they are mainly
young, educated, single men."
He added that most of them came from an urban background, with
high-school diplomas and above.
Gebregziabher attributed the shift to their trying to avoid conscription.
During a visit in July, the UN Assistant High Commissioner for
Refugees, Erika Feller, said she was "alarmed and shocked" to see "a
sea of young faces" and "youth denied for so many people".
According to ARRA statistics, more than 55 percent of these
Eritreans are between 18 and 30 years old.
"Most of them are not ready to spend time in refugee camps and that
is why we are working on an out-of-camp policy aggressively,”
Ayalew said.
In 2010, the Ethiopian government allowed Eritrean refugees to live in
urban areas, a move intended to improve their access to services. The
policy allowed more than 200 Eritrean students to continue their
studies in Ethiopian universities.
“For this year, the same chance will be given to 700 students, after
taking a proper entrance exam,” Ayalew said.
Gebregziabher said some of the Eritrean students would be entering
universities through a cost-sharing agreement supported by UNHCR.
Resettlement options
According to UNHCR, voluntary repatriation is not an option at the
moment. Gebregziabher said the agency would pursue "resettlement
as the only durable solution for Eritrean refugees. In fact, those who
came before 2008 are expected to benefit from the resettlement
programme offered by the United States," he said.
In 2008, the US government agreed to receive 6,800 Eritrean
refugees from various camps in Ethiopia.
"Over 2,000 Eritrean refugees have been resettled in the US so far,”
Gebregziabher said. "This programme is expected to continue
operating."
According to Feller, resettlement placements offered by different
countries were limited. However, she said the refugee agency would
continue to advocate for an increase in resettlement opportunities.
Apart from the US, Canada, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand and
Australia have shown interest in resettling Eritrean refugees.
Courtesy
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| Photo: Maram Mazen/IRIN The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has expressed concern over the numbers of Eritrean refugees arriving every month (file photo) |