Looking after its citizens /Desta Hailu/
By its nature, the FDRE government side with the people. Everything it does focus on the interest of the people. In addition to protecting the peoples’ human and democratic rights by basing on the constitution, the government has went far out of its way to protect our people that have been manipulated into migrating to foreign lands by illegal brokers – and it is still doing that.
Especially the effort the government exerted to bring back its citizens that didn’t abide by the deadline put by the Saudi Arabia government when it decided to expel foreign citizens that were living illegally three years ago unharmed.
At the time, the FDRE government has made huge effort to bring out our citizens that entered Saudi illegally unscathed. I recall the government budgeting more than 50 million birr in order to bring back our citizens that entered into Saudi illegally. By making its main focus and working relentlessly on it, the government has brought back tens of thousand of our citizens back to their country.
Not limiting its effort to bringing back its citizens alone, the government has created suitable condition for these people to recover and by formulating actions that would facilitate their lives in lasing manner. It has showed the returnees that it is possible to work hard in their home country and change their lives for the better.
Similar problem has occurred after three years. The Saudi Arabia government has recently issued a proclamation that states foreign citizens that entered the country illegally should leave the country within 90 days.
As it’s known, there are many Ethiopians living in Saudi. Understanding this reality very well, the FDRE government is making huge effort to bring back its citizens within the 90 days deadline. It has created suitable condition to do exactly that by holding talks with Saudi government. It has opened braches at various cities our citizens are situated in the country to provide travel document so that they can leave the country before the deadline is over.
Not only this. The effort to bring citizens that have been labeled as illegal by the Riyadh government along with their possessions and belongings they have generated in their stay in that country intact, and without the need of giving their fingerprint has strengthened. When the migrants enter their country, about 21 of their equipment (belonging) were allowed to enter duty free. The ministry of Foreign Affairs through its Jeddah and Riyadh bureau has stated that they can find the list of things they are allowed to bring into the country duty free.
It was also stated that centers that gives similar travel document services have been set up in addition to the two bureaus. Out of the centers, the Riyadh mission, Bureyda and Wadi Dewasir (near Riyadh), Jeddah mission, Mecca, Kemishit, Jean and Medina are to name a few. This deed shows the high commitment the FDRE to protect its citizen and how much concerned it is for the general wellbeing of its citizen.
Nevertheless, as it is known, despite all this effort of the government, not all of the migrants are using the platform put forward by the government. And I think the reason to this has to do the unfounded rumors that the illegal brokers are disseminating, which says ‘the Saudi government will not go through with it.’ They do this because they know that such kind of effort will put a danger on their illegal business.
Of course as the Saudi government, through its proclamation, and the Ethiopian government, through its ministry of foreign affairs, stated, it is not surprising that the illegal brokers are disseminating such unfounded rumors considering that the problem it can bring on their illegal works and profit they make out of it.
Also, it is because they know their illegal ways will come to an end going by the recent statement of the Saudi Arabia government, which stated its desire to see everyone living under its borders to be legally, and FDRE Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn where he said works are underway to send citizens to foreign countries only legally. However, what the death, suffering and misery that befallen on Ethiopian citizens that lived in Saudi illegally three years ago shows is that the fact that there is no guarantee that harm and danger will not befall upon the migrants that are not out of there by the deadline. Thus, by disregarding the bogus talk of the illegal brokers, the migrants should support the effort the government is putting to protect the security and wellbeing of its citizen by using the deadline set by the Saudi government.
Therefore, the migrants should use the opportunity they are given. Thus, I say that the migrants should give value to their lives and to the effort the government is putting to look after their wellbeing by understanding the realities and facts on the ground in a fair manner.
The FDRE government is a pro-people government that even host migrants of other countries let alone its own citizen. This generous act of the government is supported by various countries. Some countries are stating that the effort of the government is making to solve the problem by undertaking a threat analysis and by understanding the problems that might befall upon its citizens in the future should be supported. One of these countries is Denmark.
As good deed often is rewarded, after looking at the good effort Ethiopia is putting for migrants of other countries, the government of Denmark has stated through its minister of migration and immigration that it will give the necessary support in the effort to bring back its citizens from Saudi Arabia. This desire of the Danish government is a huge support in the effort of the FDRE government to bring back its citizen to their homes. I would like to take this opportunity to applaud this position of the Danish government.
Nevertheless, as the FDRE government is pro-people, it should be known first of all that it responds swiftly when its citizens are facing problems. The fact that it gives swift response and the appropriate measure either here or abroad every time its citizen faces problems goes to show that it gives huge respect to its people.
The alpha and omega behind this effort of the government comes from its deep pro-people attitude. Its effort to bring back its citizens from Saudi without any harm happening on them is a reflection of this pro-people attitude. Although the aforementioned efforts are going strongly on the side of the government, the migrants should support this effort of the government.
Of course when a migrant is labeled illegal by the government of the host country, the better option is to go back to his or her country without facing any other danger. And our citizens in Saudi should understand this fact. They should never forget that they should use the government’s effort. Thus, they should be getting the benefit from being legal by taking the legal travel document from the places prepared for them.