United Nations Experts Condemn Ethiopia’s Deportation of Eritreans and Arbitrary Detention of Refugees

A group of United Nations investigators and experts have called on Ethiopia to cease the deportation of Eritreans and the arbitrary detention of Eritrean refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. They condemned the “summary expulsion” of hundreds of Eritreans by Ethiopia, stating that collective expulsions are prohibited under international law.
The experts emphasized that deporting individuals without conducting a proper risk assessment for human rights violations violates the principle of non-refoulement, which guarantees protection from abuse or punishment. Ethiopia’s Human Rights Commission and Refugee and Returnee Service have provided conflicting statements regarding the deportations, with the experts asserting that the expelled group included both registered and unregistered refugees and asylum seekers. The governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea have a history of animosity, and Eritrea’s repressive policies have led many to flee.