From one hell to the next, and back: the plight of Ethiopian migrants in Gulf States
by Sinke Wesho (OPride) – At least three Ethiopian citizens had been killed in Saudi Arabia and scores wounded following a visa-related crackdown that began last week. On November 8, when police started the field security sweep, in a matter of hours, police rounded up hundreds of migrants who did not have “legitimate” residency papers. The following day, at least two people, including a Saudi national, were killed in clashes between police, foreign workers, and vigilante Saudi citizens. Reports in the local media put the number of those arrested in thousands. Ethiopia had called on Saudi authorities to investigate the death of its citizens. And it had reportedly sent a delegation to facilitate the repatriation of more than 17,000 Ethiopians now facing deportation. The mistreatment of foreign workers in Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, is not new. Alem Dechasa’s assault in 2012 in front of the Ethiopian consulate in Beirut infuriated many. A mobile video showing Dechasa