Addis Abeba– Amnesty International has called on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to condemn the forced return of Eritrean refugees, citing reports that “within the last three months alone, more than 600 Eritreans have been forcibly returned” from Ethiopia to Eritrea.
In an oral statement o the UNHRC’s 58th session on February 27, Amnesty said the “human rights situation of Eritrean refugees remains dire,” particularly in Ethiopia and Sudan. The rights group referenced a June 2024 report by the UN Special Rapporteur, which highlighted violations against Eritrean refugees, especially women and girls, in Sudanese areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.
Amnesty also noted that in August 2024, Türkiye forcibly returned about 180 Eritreans, which it said violated their right to protection and the principle of non-refoulement.
The organization attributed the ongoing displacement of Eritreans to “decades-long forced and indefinite conscription,” which it described as forced labor and, in some cases, amounts to slavery. Amnesty cited “credible media reports” from February 2025 stating that the Eritrean government had intensified military mobilization amid what it described as escalating tensions between Ethiopian and Eritrean officials.
The statement urged all UNHRC member states to uphold their obligations to protect Eritrean refugees from “forced return, detention, and abuse.” Amnesty also questioned the lack of progress since a 2015 UN Commission of Inquiry found that crimes under international law “may have occurred” in Eritrea, calling for a review of its recommendations to ensure accountability.
In January 2025, families of five Eritrean refugees detained for over two months in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, North Gondar Zone, alleged they were being pressured to pay ransoms of up to 500,000 Birr for their release. The detainees had been residing in Alemwach Refugee Camp in Dabat town before their arrests. Despite reporting the ransom demands to the police, the families claimed no action was taken.
A previous BBC report alleged that Eritrean residents in Ethiopia’s capital had reported widespread arrests within their community, causing fear among refugees and asylum seekers seeking safety.
The Refugee and Returnee Service (RRS) had earlier announced plans to relocate Eritrean asylum seekers currently residing in Addis Abeba to a designated shelter in the Afar region. AS
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