Ethiopians in Saudi-Arabia Feared for their Lives

Ethiopians and one journalist who wanted to be anonymous told the Ethiopian Satellite Television ESAT that an alleged SMS was sent to employers and landlords of Ethiopians at the end of last week which threatens them a 100 thousand Saudi Riyals unless they fire Ethiopians from their workplaces and/or expel from their houses. The situation is threatening for tens of thousands of documented and undocumented Ethiopians according to a post published in Amharic on ESAT's  FaceBook wall last week. Tens of thousands of Ethiopians are waiting in makeshift detention centers to be returned back home. The Ethiopian government assigned only 40 workforce to handle hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian returnees. These Ethiopians alleged that the Saudi government is indirectly instigating for all Ethiopians to be expelled from its territory. A journalist who wanted his name not to be disclosed told ESAT that if the current hate climate against Ethiopians continues as it is right now, nationals who reside in that country may face unimaginable danger in the near future. The journalist said the alleged SMS message which was sent last Friday should be a wake-up call for Ethiopians who live in Saudi-Arabia regardless of their legal status. He said the recent threatening SMS against Ethiopian migrant workers was allegedly sent by the Saudi government unofficially through its agents. The anonymous journalist blasted the Ethiopian government for trying to score a political point with the number of Ethiopians returnees

it brought back home instead of making a strong diplomatic efforts to bring back all of its citizens to safety. The journalist alleged that the number of thousands of Ethiopians who are desperately waiting to be returned in various concentration camps is more than twice of the ones who returned back home.

An Ethiopian who was sheltering nine Ethiopians who were expelled by their landlords told ESAT that one of the alleged victims came to Saudi legally eight months ago. The victim's father sold his house to send him to Saudi and live in rental house right now in Ethiopia. He said his life in Saudi-Arabia is endangered at the moment.   

Meanwhile an estimated three thousand detained Ethiopians who entered to Yemen from Saudi-Arabia are reportedly suffering from food-shortages, according a journalist who visited the detainees.