Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, have expressed growing fear and distress over a wave of arrests targeting their community. Hundreds of Eritreans have reportedly been detained in recent weeks, with some held for months without due process.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has announced plans to investigate the arrests, but the city’s police have yet to comment. The crackdown comes amidst a history of strained relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which appeared to improve after a 2018 peace agreement but have since deteriorated.
Refugees recount arrests triggered by seemingly minor actions, such as speaking Tigrinya, a language common in Eritrea and Ethiopia’s Tigray region. One refugee described being detained at a café after someone overheard him speaking the language. He alleged that police officers later demanded bribes for his release.
Many of the Eritreans in Ethiopia fled their home country to escape forced military conscription and government oppression. This year alone, over 20,000 Eritreans have crossed into Ethiopia, joining the 70,000 already registered. However, the ongoing arrests have left them feeling unsafe, with some fearing deportation back to Eritrea, where they could face imprisonment.
One refugee shared the plight of his sister, who was detained while shopping and has been held in custody for three weeks. “I can’t visit her because I fear being arrested myself,” he said, adding that he relies on Ethiopian friends to deliver food and clothes to her.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed deep concern over the detentions, which have left refugees desperate to leave Ethiopia. However, some Eritreans report being arrested even when attempting to inquire about travel documents.
The crackdown has also drawn attention to broader safety concerns for Eritrean refugees across Ethiopia. At Alemwach refugee camp in the Amhara region, residents report frequent robberies, kidnappings, and violent attacks. A camp representative said armed groups have killed at least nine refugees in the past year.
The arrests have evoked memories of mass deportations of Eritreans during the 1998–2000 border war between the two countries. Diplomatic ties between Eritrea and Ethiopia have further eroded following Ethiopia’s recent two-year civil war in the Tigray region. Flights and communications between the nations remain suspended, and high-level contacts have ceased.
Eritrean refugees are calling on the international community, including the UN and human rights organizations, to intervene. “Both documented and undocumented Eritreans are being targeted,” said one refugee, who described the arrests as indiscriminate and deliberate. “We fled persecution in Eritrea, only to face it here.”