EU-IOM Joint Initiative

for Migrant Protection and Reintegration

Abraham Gebreyesus lives with a constant reminder of his attempt to seek a better life abroad. If he could, he would have done things differently.

The Ethiopian was caught up in the war in Yemen, a country of transit for migrants aiming to get the Gulf States to look for work. Abraham describes how, on their way to the border, he and some  friends came under fire.

“My right arm was injured and I collapsed in the desert. Most of our friends died; only four of us survived.”

According to a study — ‘The Desire to Thrive Regardless of Risk’ — released in May 2020 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), just 30 per cent of Ethiopian migrants seeking work in the Gulf are aware that Yemen, the one country they must cross, is in its sixth year of conflict. Fewer than half know of the dangers of boats capsizing at sea.

What happens when, like Abraham, one returns with serious physical or emotional scars?

Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country with a population of 110 million people. Many youth struggle against various socio-economic challenges. Most are from rural areas where employment opportunities are limited. Families usually have neither income nor assets.

The perception that the grass is greener elsewhere provides people smugglers with the opportunity they need to lure unsuspecting youth. Smugglers are often the main source of information for would-be migrants. Some may have seen their peers succeed overseas, yet no one talks openly about how they have made it.

“I wanted to go abroad since I turned 18. I have seen others who came back with money, so I desperately wanted to go,” says Abraham who lives in Barha village, Wukru Zone, Tigray region.

Without alerting his family he quit his job as a day labourer in Humera, Western Tigray, and joined the march on the so-called Eastern route to the Gulf via Yemen. This is typical, as many migrants fear family members will attempt to dissuade them should their plans become known.

The IOM study also found that 59 per cent of first-time migrants did not inform their families prior to leaving. Families were more involved in the journeys of women — 36 per cent of whom received support from their families to cover costs, compared to 21 per cent of men. Sixty-four per cent of migrants have attempted the journey at least twice.

“I went to Saudi first, but after eight months, I was deported back to Ethiopia,” Abraham says.

He did not go back to his family, or to Humera. Instead, he stayed in Addis Ababa, planning a second journey. Through odd jobs, he saved USD1,100, which he used to pay the smugglers who took him through Djibouti. This is one of several routes that takes migrants through the Gulf of Aden to Yemen and onward to the Gulf states.

Following his deadly ordeal, Abraham and the other survivors were rescued by a passing car and taken to Sanaa for treatment.

IOM provided Abraham with medical assistance and in June 2018 facilitated his voluntary return to Ethiopia where the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in the Horn of Africa presented him with options for reintegration. These included enrolling for vocational education or starting a small business. He chose the latter and was offered training and provided with goats and sheep to launch a small enterprise.

Abraham struggled to shake off feelings of guilt at having become a burden to his family, mostly because of his physical disability. Watching his father, Ato Gebreyesus, working hard to help him left Abraham depressed. Gebreyesus had sold his oxen and sought support from relatives to pay for his son’s medical treatment.

“But now, after I received sheep and goats from the programme, I can start a small fattening business and I see hope to support myself,” Abraham says. “As I have lost the use of an arm, I am not able to help my father with farming, but I can be of good support to bring in additional income to my family.”

Gebreyesus shares his son’s feelings about the support he has received from the programme. He says most of all, he is glad that his son is alive. “He left Ethiopia to support us, although I was not aware of it,” he says. “Nevertheless, he faced the worst problem.”

Relatives support Abraham, giving him the strength to make him feel at ease. “I tell his younger brother that he should learn from what Abraham has been through. I also tell the youth in the neighborhood that irregular migration is dangerous,” Gebreyesus says.

“Abraham’s return back home with a wounded hand has touched each household in our neighborhood. It brought the community together to support us.”

About the EU-IOM Joint Initiative

Launched in December 2016, with funding from the European Union (EU) Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, the EU-IOM Joint Initiative brings together 26 African countries of the Sahel and Lake Chad region, the Horn of Africa, and North Africa, the EU and IOM around the goal of ensuring migration is safer, more informed and better governed for both migrants and their communities.

The story was written by Helina Mengistu, Senior Project Communications Assistant and Wilson Johwa, Regional Communications Officer, EU-IOM Joint Initiative.