ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA

Transcription

1 ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA OCTOBER 2014 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office IOM OIM FDRE

2 Report produced by: The International Organization for Migration, Special Liaison Office in Addis Ababa October 2014 IOM Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. For more information, please contact: Abrham Tamrat or Sharon Dimanche, Migration Management Programme Coordinator Tel: International Organization for Migration (IOM) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmit- ted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.

3 Prepared by: Abrham Tamrat (IOM Ethiopia) Contributors: Sandra Alemayehu (IOM Ethiopia) Aynadis Yohannes (IOM Ethiopia) Edited by: David Ndegwa (Consultant) ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA OCTOBER 2014

4 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office October 2014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

5 CONTENTS CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... 1 FOREWORD... 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT INTRODUCTION CONTEXT Migration in Ethiopia and the region Sampling Target regions/zones Data Analysis CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POPULATION RETURNEES (SECONDARY DATA) The Return Process and Returnees Experiences Number of returnees Vulnerable Groups: Assistance Provided Challenges Partnerships Demographic Characteristics of Returnee Population Age Distribution Gender Composition of Returnees: Gender Composition by Region: Areas of Origin: Returnee-population ratio per region: The Need for this Assessment:...24

6 3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Characteristics of Interviewed Returnees Places of Origin of respondents Age Distribution of Respondents Educational Attainment of Respondents Marital Status of Respondents Situation of Respondents before Migrating Level of skill and occupation of respondents before migrating: Sector and Occupations: Migration Channels Reasons for migrating Source of Finance for Migration The Experience of Working and Living in KSA Duration of stay in KSA Preferred Destinations in KSA Treatment in KSA Occupation in KSA Remittances Skills Profile of Returnees Post-return Impact and Status Overall Situation and Impact Socio-Economic Status of Returnees Risks related to traffickers/smugglers: Needs and Tendencies of Returnees Returnees Future Plans and Needs Needs for training, job creation, and reintegration support...55

7 3.6. Response by Stakeholders Assistance provided Government Response Response by the Community/family members Response by International and other non-governmental Organizations CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusion Recommendations...68 ANNEXURES ANNEX 1. ADDITIONAL DATA TABLES...71 ANNEX 2. additional FIGURES...86 ANNEX 3. INTERVIEW GUIDE...90

8 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Sample returnee s size by region/zone Table 2: Number of returnees by top three Woredas Table 3: Respondents Area of Origin Table 4: Age Distribution of Respondents Table 5: Gender Distribution by Region of Respondents Table 6: Marital Status of Respondents by Region Table 7: Type of Training Respondents attended before migrating Table 8: Migratory channels used by respondents Table 9: Number of trips respondents made to KSA by Zone Table 10: Summary of the Mass Deportation Impact Table 11: Impact of the Deportation on Living Conditions Table 12: Summary of the Respondents Description on the Peace and Security in their Families and Community Table 13: Summary of the Respondents Indebtedness Status Table 14: Summary of respondents income status Table 15: Household head status by gender Table 16: Summary dependents statistics and average number of dependents by region Table 17: Summary of means used to cover living expenses by respondents with no source of income Table 18: Amount of saving respondents had for reintegration by region Table 19: Summary of the respondents fear in relation to smugglers and traffickers by region Table 20: Summary of respondents intention of remigration by region Table 21: Summary of the intended destinations for remigration by gender Table 22: Future plans of the returnees Table 23: Occupation preferences of respondents by Gender... 57

9 Table 24: Number of returnees who received support by region Table 25: Stakeholders who provided support by region Table 26: Returned VS. Reintegrated: Region/Zone Level Data Table 27: Types of support provided to returnees by Zone Table 28: Support provided by families and community members Table 29: Support provided by IOs and other NGOs LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Irregular Migration Routes from Ethiopia Figure 2: Ethiopian Migrant Arrivals in the Yemeni Coast Figure 3: Top areas of origin of returnees Figure 4: Weekly arrivals of returnees from KSA Figure 5: Number of returnees assisted Figure 6: Age Distribution of Returnees Figure 7: Gender and Family Composition of Returnees Figure 8: Gender composition by Region Figure 9: Areas of Origin - by Region Figure 10: Gender Composition per Region Figure 11: Map of Areas of Origin of Returnees by Region Figure 12: Returnee Populations Ratios and Percentage by region Figure 13: Age Distribution of Respondents... 26

10 Figure 14: Age Distribution of Respondents by Region Figure 15: Education Background of Respondents Figure 16: Sector Respondents were in Before Migrating Figure 17: Sector/sub-sectors Respondents were in Before Migrating Figure 18: Sector Respondents were in Before Migrating - by gender Figure 19: Respondents reasons for migrating Figure 20: Source of finance for migration Figure 21: How long respondents stayed in KSA by Region Figure 22: Number of respondents by city Figure 23: Occupation of Respondents while in KSA Figure 24: Families and community members who used to receive remittances Figure 25: Number of dependents by Region Figure 26: Average monthly incomes of families/community member Figure 27: Channels used by returnees to remit back home by gender Figure 28: Housing Conditions of Respondents Figure 29: Current Source of Income of Respondents Figure 30: Type of Support Requested by Respondents Figure 31: Occupation Preferences of Respondents Figure 32: Stakeholders Who Provided Support... 59

11 ACRONYMS BoLSA BoWYCA DRMFSS ETB FGDs GoE ICRC IDPs IO IOM IRC KSA MFI MoLSA MoWCYA MRC MSE MSF NGOs OCHA PEAs SNNPR SPSS TVET UAE UMC UN UNHCR UNICEF WFP Bureaus of Labour and Social Affairs Bureaus of Women Youth and Children Affairs Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector Ethiopian Birr Focus Group Discussions Government of Ethiopia International Committee of the Red Cross Internally Displaced Persons International Organization International Organization for Migration International Rescue Committee Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Microfinance institutions Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs Migration Response Centres Micro and Small Enterprises Médecins Sans Frontières Non-governmental Organizations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Private Employment Agencies Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Technical and Vocational Education and Training United Arab Emirates Unaccompanied Migrant Children United Nations United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations Children s Fund World Food Program

12 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The opinions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. / 1

13 FOREWORD The Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are pleased to release this report that presents findings from a study that looked into the socio-economic situation and needs of Ethiopian returnees from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study findings will form the basis for longer term interventions to provide support to the returnees and initiate community based responses to the enduring challenge of irregular and labour migration in Ethiopia. This report forms part of joint initiatives between IOM, the Government of Ethiopia, and other stakeholders that are aimed at generating a set of baseline data to inform assistance programmes for the returnees. It will also inform national and community level livelihood based interventions aimed at reducing irregular migration. Ethiopia has borne the brunt of the consequences of large scale regular and irregular migration. This report was triggered by the recent large scale expulsion of Ethiopians from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) who were deemed to have been there illegally. The mass deportation placed the magnitude of the problem in sharp focus. Between late 2013 and early 2014, an unprecedented number of Ethiopian nationals estimated at more than 163, 000 returned home. This event became catalytic for government, civil society and international partners such as IOM to provide humane reception and reintegration assistance to the returnees. At the same time, the compelling need for longer term solutions to the underlying factors and forces driving irregular migration was unavoidable. Studies show that every year, hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian youth, many of them women and children, set off on perilous journeys in search of a better life. Those migrating to Saudi Arabia and UAE transit through Djibouti and Yemen while those migrating to Southern Africa transit through Sudan, Kenya and other countries south of Kenya. Often, they do this at great risks and harm to themselves and at the mercy of traffickers and smugglers. Often, Ethiopians who undertake these journeys in pursuit of a better life find themselves imperilled and sometimes end up losing their lives. Others find themselves incarcerated or assaulted in countries of transit and destination. Women and children are particularly vulnerable. On the face of growing migration which undeniably cannot be stopped, the Government of Ethiopia, IOM and other partners undertook to intervene by assisting returned Ethiopians and communities of origin. The decision to carry out a study examining the socio-economic situation and needs of the returnees and their communities of origin was informed by the understanding that successful interventions would have to be evidence based and anchored on a thorough understanding of the circumstances confronting them and their communities since their expulsion. The findings in this report validate the need for longer term livelihood based interventions directed at potential migrants and communities of origin in responding to the problem of irregular migration. They also demonstrate the importance of enhancing migrants and their communities awareness on the risks ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 2

14 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office of irregular migration especially through smugglers and traffickers. At the same time, the findings vindicate the government and its international partner s efforts in putting in place legislative and bilateral agreements on labour migration with preferred destinations in order to harness the benefits of migration and diaspora s contribution to economic and social development in Ethiopia. This report forms a crucial piece in the foundational evidence that will anchor longer term responses to be undertaken jointly between IOM, the Government of Ethiopia and other partners. It offers crucial baseline data on desired forms of assistance by the returnees and communities. By gathering data and information on the socio-economic situation and needs of the returnees from KSA, IOM hopes to better target and tailor interventions to the individual returnees, communities, and other stakeholder to provide sustainable solutions to the problem. It is hoped that information and recommendations arising out of this exercise will contribute to reducing the extent of irregular migration in Ethiopia. We would like to thank the Migration Management unit team and the respective Government officials for their illustrious efforts that made this work a reality. We would also like to thank the IOM Special Liaison Office in Addis Ababa for facilitating and coordinating the production of this report; the Regional Office and David Ndegwa for reviewing and editing the report; IOM Ethiopia mission for its generous financial support and last, but by no means least, the dedicated members of staff at IOM Ethiopia who provided valuable input to the study at different stages. Josiah Ogina Chief of Mission International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Hon. Ato Solomon Tesfaye Telila State Minister Prime Minister s Office Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia / 3

15 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The International Organization for Migration (IOM) jointly conducted this assessment with the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to shed light on the socio-economic status and needs of Ethiopian migrants who returned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) between November 2013 and March The assessment aimed to provide accurate information for policy makers, the government, international organizations (IO) and other stakeholders. In addition, the assessment hopes to help formulate well-informed and effective strategies to minimize adverse social and economic effects that KSA mass deportation may have in the affected areas. It also seeks to propose sustainable reintegration support targeting the returnees most pressing needs. The assessment used quantitative and qualitative data collected through interviews and focus group discussions held with sample returnees, family and community members, Government offices and IOs. Simple random sampling was used to pick samples with special attention given to female returnees. Geographic areas were also prioritized based on number of returnees, their age and gender distribution. The assessment was conducted in four regional states where 90 per cent of returnees originate; that is, Amhara, Tigray, Oromia and Southern Nations and Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). Data from secondary sources such as local officials and the IOM-KSA returnees database were also used for this assessment. A majority of the returnees are male. However, there is a significant number of women and children some of whom are suffering from malnutrition, physical and psychological harm. Majority of the returnees have an average educational attainment of grade 10 and below which partly explains the occupations most respondents had in KSA. More than 12 per cent of the interviewed returnees had no formal education. More than half of the interviewed returnees (52 per cent) were married and 46 per cent were single. Prior to migration, 79 per cent of respondents did not attend training to help them either secure better paying jobs or enable them to know their rights and obligations in a foreign country. More than 75 per cent of those who trained were in construction, textile and garment, carpentry and metalwork (given via TVET institutes), basic business skills, life skills, food preparation and day care/nursery. Except those trained in food preparation, most did not work in the area of their training in KSA. Before they migrated, 38 per cent of the respondents were either attending school and 45 per cent were employed. Seventeen per cent were unemployed and looking for work. More than three quarters of returnees had overstayed their legal status in KSA at the time of deportation. Close to 60 per cent had migrated irregularly while 15.4 per cent entered KSA legally and fell out of status due to various reasons including overstaying of visas. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 4

16 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Majority of returnees migrated for economic reasons assisted by smugglers and traffickers. Most (30 per cent) cited Looking for better paying jobs as their motive for migration while 22 per cent cited unemployment and 20 per cent limited economic prospects. The results showed that 34 per cent financed their migration with loans from informal sources and debts that most still owe. A third financed their migration from family and relatives by selling assets, exhausting family savings, or personal loans. Only a third of the returnees had used their own savings and assets to cover their costs. Respondents said they were subjected to physical and psychological abuse and treated inhumanly while in KSA. They mentioned mistreatment such as denial of freedom, denial of salary, food, being forced to work for long hours without payment, physical abuse, and confiscation of passports among many other forms of mistreatment. Less than half of the returnees were engaged in domestic work. Although Ethiopians are in high demand for domestic work in KSA, more than half of the respondents worked as daily labourers (22 per cent), in agriculture (15 per cent) and in construction (14 per cent). Of the randomly selected families of returnees and community member respondents, 56 per cent confirmed they received remittances from KSA. Of the other 44 per cent, some received remittances sporadically from KSA for holidays and other events. The families of returnees and members of the community would receive an average monthly remittance of ETB 1,808 (equiv. USD90). The results also revealed that 73 per cent of returnees sent remittances and/or saved consistently. Each returnee used remittances to support an average of 3.8 dependents. Seventy-seven per cent transferred their remittances through banks. However, those out of status relied on other Ethiopians with legal status or KSA citizens, sometimes for a fee. Only 31 per cent of returnees managed to get their savings post-return. In addition, 54 per cent are living with their families and close relatives, 24 per cent rented accommodation using the limited resources they had and 20 per cent have their own homes. Some have jobs, but most are expecting support from government. Returnees have experienced sudden reduction in household income, increased household consumption, increased spending on food and household expenses, and increased general cost of living. A quarter of the returnees stated they experienced social stigma. They mentioned community sentiment that they have failed their mission and their families and are doomed to be dependents. About a quarter of returnees have identified risks related to traffickers/smugglers. About a quarter said they have unrepaid debts. Only 25 per cent of returnees have an average monthly income of ETB (equiv. USD31). A further 64 per cent are self-employed in micro-business, 19 percent in agricultural activities, 11 per / 5

17 cent employed, 4 per cent are in government-supported income generating activities and 2 per cent have earnings from properties such as rent. Only 37 per cent of those with income are able to cover their household expenses, meaning that out of the overall sample size, only 9.2 per cent are able to cover their cost of living. Almost 59 per cent of returnees intend to re-migrate or are considering re-migrating. A quarter of the returnees primary aim is to re-migrate and 84 per cent of those who intend to re-migrate prefer to try KSA again. Nearly 40 per cent of the returnees expressed the need for psychosocial support highlighting the need for continuing follow up and treatment. The results also showed that 37 per cent of returnees plan to start up micro-businesses, most of whom aim to open their own convenience stores or small retail shops and restaurants. About 12 per cent plan to find employment in their field of expertise though many of them are also willing to take up any work so long as they can generate income and support themselves and their families. Business is the ideal occupation for 71 per cent of the returnees and 16 per cent prefer farming and livestock breeding while 6 per cent preferred artisanship. In terms of assistance requested by the returnees, 35 per cent of them requested for financial assistance, 34 per cent requested for assistance with skills and technical training, and 31 per cent preferred material support. The availability of microcredit was cited as essential to help cover startup costs by 35 per cent of the returnees and the need for micro-business working premises was stated as essential by 24 per cent of the returnees. Nearly 21 per cent of respondents said they need business skills trainings to succeed economically, while another 21 per cent focused on acquiring technical and vocational trainings. Another 7 per cent requested material support and technical assistance while 3 per cent requested agricultural extension workers. Returnees, families, community members and officials found stakeholders efforts in reducing community impact and reintegration limited. Among interviewed returnees, only 33.3 per cent reported receiving some assistance. Returnees cited government rehabilitation and reintegration programs to be the main s o u r c e o f support. The government strategies include creating awareness, creating jobs and follow up and maintaining stability and social cohesion at the local level. Efforts by regional governments to support returnees with rehabilitation and reintegration need expansion and diversification to reach more returnees and their needs. Financial limitations hinder reintegration process and the delivery of services to more returnees. Access to microcredit is not readily available; there is scarcity of arable land, and returnees attitudes/behaviour remains a stumbling block to reintegration. Additional stakeholder contribution with reintegration assistance is needed. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 6

18 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office The assessment in this report offers recommendations to respond to short-term needs of returnees and their medium and long-term needs. In addition, the assessment makes recommendations about gaps in capacity building and livelihoods alternatives. In the short term, economic reintegration and livelihoods support programs, provision of mental and psychosocial services to returnees, and initiation of quick/targeted awareness raising campaigns are recommended. Recommendations for the medium and long term include designing medium and long term livelihoods alternatives projects in irregular migration prone areas; enhancing the labour migration opportunities from Ethiopia; capacity building in migration management areas, and including migration related emergency issues in DRMFSS s emergency response system. 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT 1.1 INTRODUCTION Migration is a complex phenomenon influenced by social, economic, political, geographical and environmental factors. Migration is an important part of human life, with people historically moving from one place to another in search of better livelihoods. IOM defines migration 1 as the movement of a person or a group of persons, either across an international border, or within a State. Migration is any kind of movement of people, irrespective of length, composition and causes. It includes migration of refugees, displaced persons, economic migrants, and persons moving for other purposes, including family reunification 1. Return migration is part of the process whereby migrants return to their area of origin. According to IOM, the word return separately, in its general sense, means the act or process of going back to the point of departure. This could be within the territorial boundaries of a country, like returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) and demobilized combatants; or between a host country (either transit or destination) and a country of origin, as in the case of migrant workers, refugees, asylum-seekers, and qualified nationals. Other categories of return describe the manner of return. For example, voluntary, forced, assisted and spontaneous; as well as who is returning, s u c h a s repatriation (for refugees). Therefore, return migration is the movement of persons to country of origin or habitual residence usually after spending at least one year in another country. The return may or may not be voluntary. Return migration includes voluntary repatriation 2. 1 IOM, Glossary on Migration 2nd Edition, 2011 / 7

19 As a follow up to emergency response after the forced return migration of Ethiopian migrants from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), this report focusses on giving a better picture of the socio-economic status and needs of the returnees and the subsequent response of stakeholders. The returnees included both documented and undocumented migrant workers who migrated to the KSA over several years. It was a forced return process and severely lacked preparation and coordination in terms of upholding the rights, keeping the safety of the migrants, and building the required resilience among source communities. Ethiopia experiences many types of migration. It has been both a major origin country for both regular and irregular migrants and a destination and transit country mostly for asylum seekers and refugees. One of the main routes used by irregular Ethiopian migrants is the Eastern one. The Eastern migratory route leads to Saudi Arabia (KSA), also a major destination country for regular migrants from Ethiopia. KSA, like other major destination countries, hosts large numbers of unregistered irregular migrants. Recently, KSA has implemented policies to restrict irregular migration. Examples are the construction of a barrier fence along the Saudi-Yemeni border, observation posts, patrols in search of irregular migrants trying to cross the border, and mass deportations of irregular migrants including Ethiopians. On 14 Nov 2013, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officially requested IOM to provide emergency post-arrival assistance to Ethiopians returning from KSA. Accordingly, IOM in collaboration with the GoE and other stakeholders including other UN agencies, international organizations, and the private sector, provided post-arrival assistance to the returnees. Following the return of significant number of Ethiopians from the KSA, the GoE has made efforts and put mechanisms in place to ensure smooth reintegration of returnees. However, due to the large number of returnees and some obstacles in implementation, the pace of the reintegration process has not progressed as expected. IOM and other partners are looking forward to supplementing these efforts b y extending support to a reasonable number of returnees including the most vulnerable groups. This assessment complements government s efforts and aims to gather information for targeted successful reintegration focusing on the status and needs of returnees and stakeholder response. The first section of the report introduces the subject of the assessment, the second section provides the general overview of the return process, the post-arrival response and the demography of the total returnee population and the third section discusses the characteristics of the returnees and comprehensive outcomes of the assessment. The last section provides the conclusions drawn from the assessment results and discusses relevant policy recommendations and effective action that stakeholders can take to help returnees reintegrate smoothly, reduce the impact on the community and eventually minimize the challenges of human trafficking and smuggling that put returnees in this situation in the first place. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 8

20 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office 1.2 CONTEXT Migration in Ethiopia and the region Ethiopia is both a country of origin and destination in the region. Ethiopia is home to more than 629,000 refugees 2, making it one of the largest hosts of refugees in Africa. More than 57 per cent of the refugee population in Ethiopia are forced migrants from Somalia. Twenty five per cent of refugees in Ethiopia are from South Sudan and 17 per cent are from Eritrea. Ethiopia also serves as a transit country for Eritrean and Somali migrants who aim to reach camps in Sudan and Kenya. However, there is no accurate data on the extent of Ethiopia s role as a transit country. An equally large number of Ethiopians leave the country every year through regular and irregular channels. From 2009 to 2013, emigration from Ethiopia was greater than immigration by almost 60, This number includes refugees who decide to leave Ethiopia and migrants who use Ethiopia as a transit country. With the help of traffickers and smugglers, irregular migrants from Ethiopia follow three main migratory routes, that is, the Northern, Southern and Eastern routes. These routes are shown in Figure 1 below. The northern route extends through Sudan, Egypt and Libya and other countries in that region. Although Egypt and Libya are final destinations for some migrants, for most they serve as transit countries to reach Europe. Using smugglers to cross borders, most of the migrants who use this route come from Oromia, Amhara and Tigray regional states. Of the three, this route is the most deadly, especially for those who go far north and get trafficked or smuggled by boat from Libya to Lampedusa, Italy and other places in southern Europe. Migrants from Southern Nations, Nationalities and People s region (SNNPR) dominate the southern route. The migrants cross through Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi to South Africa, while some try migrating to North America and Europe from here. On this route, migrants are smuggled by boat across Lake Nyasa, between Malawi and Tanzania. However, due to increased security most transit through the vast Nyika National Park / 9

21 Figure 1: Irregular Migration Routes from Ethiopia Ethiopian migrants also use the eastern route through Somalia and Djibouti, the Gulf of Aden, Yemen to reach the Middle East, mostly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while some go onward to Turkey and Europe. As shown in Figure 2, in 2010, 75 per cent of migrants who arrived in Yemen were Ethiopians. This number has declined since Although there has been a decline in the total number of migrant per year, the numbers have increased in recent months. For Example, in August 2014, there were 8,150 new arrivals, 220 per cent more than registered arrivals in August Figure 2: Ethiopian Migrant Arrivals in the Yemeni Coast ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 10

22 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office According to data collected from returnees under IOM s Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programs, the push factors for migrating differ from region to region but the main factors are economic problems, peer influence, social and cultural factors such as early and arranged marriage, disasters such as flooding, drought, and lack of social services. Among the pull factors, better paying jobs and lucrative informal business sectors are the leading ones. Influence by migrants originating from their locality, mainly family members and friends residing abroad, is also another common pull factor. The high demand for domestic workers in the KSA is a key pull factor for those who use the eastern route. 4 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has demand for up to 1.5 million domestic workers. After migration from Asia to meet this demand dropped, Africa became the main source. This has motivated significant number of Ethiopians to migrate towards KSA both regularly and irregularly. Ethiopians dominate the number of African migrants in KSA, estimated to be the second largest labour migrant population in KSA after India 5. Since 2008, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became the main destination country for Ethiopian women migrants 6. Although the exact number of the Ethiopian migrants currently residing in KSA is unknown, the number of regular labour migrants in was between 100,000 and 200, The number of irregular migrants is estimated to be twice that. To migrate to KSA legally, young Ethiopians register as labour migrants with MoLSA and use the legally registered Private Employment Agencies (PEAs) or make their own arrangements. According to data from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA), the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat (RMMS) indicated that most of the legal migrants were female sometimes up to 96 per cent 8. However, a significant number of migrants use smugglers/traffickers to reach KSA irregularly. Reports and interviews with returnees indicate that many migrant workers paid large sums of money to recruitment agencies to secure legal employment options. Once in KSA, many found themselves at the mercy of sponsors and de facto employers who imposed oppressive working conditions on them and sometimes subjected young Ethiopian women to domestic servitude. According to reports by Human Rights Watch, many of the migrant workers in KSA suffer multiple abuses and labour- related exploitation, including forced labour. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia developed a new law, the Nitaqat law, which protects the rights of domestic workers and contains provisions that favour employers. The law requires all foreign workers to legalize their work documents and those who fail to do so face deportation. The KSA Ministry of Labour later extended the grace period of Nitaqat s implementation to November 3, Upon the 4 for%20january% pdf RMMS research series; The Letter of the Law: regular and irregular migration in Saudi Arabia in a context of rapid change, 2014, p17 7 RMMS research series; The Letter of the Law: regular and irregular migration in Saudi Arabia in a context of rapid change, 2014, p9 8 RMMS research series; The Letter of the Law: regular and irregular migration in Saudi Arabia in a context of rapid change, 2014, p17 / 11

23 expiration of the seven month grace period, a crackdown started on undocumented migrant workers. Within a couple of months, more than 163,000 Ethiopian migrants were expelled from the country. In the wake of this unprecedented crackdown, IOM, the Ethiopian government and other stakeholders stood up to provide emergency post-arrival assistance to the returnees. The decision by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to expel hundreds of thousands of vulnerable migrants from KSA compounded the problem of managing migration, particularly human trafficking and smuggling from the Horn of Africa. The families and communities who depended on the remittances are also expected to face economic difficulties. These events will affect the country by exacerbating unemployment and increasing pressure on public services. Due to psychological trauma, the returnees may also face great difficulties reintegrating back into society. There is high probability of some returnees re-migrating where they may fall into the hands of human traffickers who take advantage of such desperate cases. Therefore, there is a need to assess the situation, identify their needs and develop a more effective strategy to tackle the problem. This assessment aims to contribute to that effort. The profile of returnees and their geographic distribution is based on arrival data collected during the emergency post-arrival assistance. Primary data was collected through interviews and focus group discussions to get input from returnees, community members including families of returnees, potential migrants, government officials and other stakeholders active in areas selected for data collection. Collection of both quantitative and qualitative data was conducted using the following methods: Interview with sample returnees; Interview with the families of returnees and community member; Interview/focus group discussion with relevant government offices, mainly members of the anti-trafficking/smuggling taskforces (which included: Bureaus of Labour and Social Affairs (BoLSA), Bureaus of Women Youth and Children Affairs (BoWYCA), Micro and Small Enterprise Develop- ment Agencies, Microfinance Institutions, Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS), TVET institutes, etc.) and IOs on the impact of the return on the specific region/zone/ woreda and respective communities; Focus Group Discussions with returnees, and Focus Group Discussion with families and community members. 1.3 SAMPLING During sampling, each of the geographic areas was selected based on the number of returnees in each wereda. Respondents were picked using simple random sampling. Due to less proportion of female returnees, purposive sampling was also used to include more female. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 12

24 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Target regions/zones The assessment was conducted in eight zones, located in four regional states. The targeted regions and zones were selected based on data collected from returnees from KSA post-arrival. Accordingly, the four major regions were: Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray, which incorporate above 90 per cent of the total number of returnees. The zones selected within each region were North Wollo and South Wollo zones for Amhara region, Jimma and East Arsi zones for Oromia region, Eastern and Southern Zones for Tigray Region, and Silte and Gurage Zones for SNNP. Figure 3 shows the geographic distribution of the returnees by zones and major regions described above. Figure 3: Top areas of origin of returnees As shown in Table 1, the sample population comprised 1150 returnees, 720 families of returnees and community members, and over 112 government officials. The region with the highest percentage of the sampled population was Amhara followed by Tigray. / 13

25 Table 1: Sample returnee s size by region/zone Region Zones (Top 2 Per Region) Number of Returnees Sample Returnees Per Cent (out of 8 zones) Sample per zone Sample By Region Interview Community/ Families FGD -Returnees Amhara North Wollo % South Wollo % Oromia Jimma % East Arsi % Tigray Eastern % Southern % SNNP Silti % Gurage % Total Sample Size FGD Community & families Table 2 shows the top three Woredas in selected zones from which two were selected as samples. The results show that 11 woredas had more than two thousand returnees each. The woreda with the highest number of returnees was Habru in Amhara region. It was followed by Atsbi Wonberta in Tigray region with 6,255 returnees. Table 2: Number of returnees by top three Woredas Region Zone Woreda Total Returnees By Woreda Amhara North Wollo Habru 7,775 Kobo 6,072 Guba Lafto 2,027 South Wolo Debresina 3,476 Kelala 3,119 WOGIDI 1,868 Tigray Eastern Tigray Atsbi Wonberta 6,255 Saesi Tsadamba 4,098 Wekero Town 1,489 South Tigray Rya Azebo 3,007 Alamata 2,739 Maychew Town 562 Oromia Arsi Robe 1,455 Asela Town 1,108 Shirka 1,052 Jimma SIGMO 2,308 Omonada 1,923 ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 14

26 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Setema 1,760 SNNPR Gurage Meskan 701 Butajira Town 530 WELEIKITE TOWN 237 Siliti Silite 3,046 Sankura 391 Dalocha Data Analysis Data were entered into MS Excel and imported into SPSS. Statistical analysis was done using both Microsoft Excel and SPSS. The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics checking data and summarizing it, measuring characteristics of location and dispersal, checking variables for normal distribution, frequencies and correlation. / 15

27 2.0 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POPULATION RETURNEES (SECONDARY DATA) This chapter presents an overview of the return process, the post-arrival emergency response and the demographic characteristics of the entire returnee population. Data used in this section was obtained from IOM s registration database of returnees from KSA THE RETURN PROCESS AND RETURNEES EXPERIENCES Although the crackdown targeted irregular migrants, returnees included documented migrant workers, who either volunteered to escape the abuses they faced or were caught during the raids and clashes with the police. During the return process, humanitarian workers and governments witnessed severe violations of migrant rights and ill-treatment of vulnerable groups. During the postarrival emergency operation, which took place between November 2013 and March 2014, over 163,000 Ethiopians arrived at Bole International Airport. The humanitarian needs of the vulnerable, physically and mentally affected returnees were apparent. Due to the high number of arrivals, the available response capacity of stakeholders was stretched. The return started as a trickle with small number of arrivals per day but then suddenly rose to sometimes 7000 returnees per day, stretching the logistical preparations of the humanitarian response. Apart from Ethiopians, the expulsion affected citizens from other countries particularly Yemen. The expulsion left many migrants destitute and traumatized. Having left all their belongings behind, most returnees were psychologically and logistically unprepared due to the hasty manner in which the return process was conducted. The section below in this chapter summarizes the return process and gives a profile of a sample of returnees from the assessment Number of returnees As shown in Figure 4, the highest number of returnees arrived in Ethiopia between November 2013 and December Thereafter, there was a steady flow of returnees arriving from January 2014 and tapering off by March 2014by when all those who had been expelled from KSA had returned. 9 For detailed information on the emergency post- arrival assistance provided by IOM, GoE, UN Agencies, the private sector, and NGOs refer to IOM s report entitled Post-Arrival Humanitarian Assistance to Ethiopians Returning from KSA An Account of IOM s Operation in assisting over 153,000 Ethiopian Returnees. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 16

28 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Figure 4: Weekly arrivals of returnees from KSA The first flight arrived with 35 migrants on 13 November, The number of returning Ethiopians received at Bole International Airport reached 163,018 by 24 March, The chart below shows the daily arrival rates throughout the process. Most of the returnees arrived between mid-november and the third week of December As Figure 5 shows using a dashboard view, IOM and partners provided emergency assistance to over 153,000 or 94 per cent of the returnees. The remaining 6 per cent preferred going to their final destination on their own. Others were received by their families at the airport and did not need assistance. / 17

29 Figure 5: Number of returnees assisted Vulnerable Groups: Among the returnees, there were vulnerable groups such as women, children and those with medical conditions. More than 200 women went into labour upon arrival or shortly after. Some returnees had serious medical conditions such as upper respiratory tract infections, lower respiratory tract infections, diarrheal diseases, myalgia & arthralgia s, acute febrile Illnesses, psychiatric illnesses and physical traumas. Returnees also included infants and over 520 Unaccompanied Migrant Children (UMC) who needed specialized services including provision of baby formula, vaccination, and support with family reunification Assistance Provided Emergency post-arrival assistance commenced after returnees completed immigration processing, customs clearance and orientation given by GoE. A team of IOM staff assisted in receiving and giving direction to the returnees, who registered at the IOM registration and processing centres. IOM in collaboration with GoE, other UN agencies and the private sector provided the following types of assistance: Food and Shelter for returnees at transit centres; Transportation cash allowance to enable returnees travel back home; 8725 returnees received post arrival medical support; 274 were referred for specialized care while 280 children were vaccinated; ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 18

30 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Identified unaccompanied minors were separated from the group and were transported to a separate transit centre for specialized support package; Further assistance and data collection was conducted for family tracing and re-unification in close coordination with UNICEF and the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs; Challenges The operation faced challenges due to the unprecedented nature of the emergency, the large number of returnees of varying ages and needs and given the short timeframe. Some of the challenges included: The transit centres could only accommodate a maximum of 600 returnees per night but due to the large number of returnees arriving 24 hours a day, the number of returnees exceeded room capacities; Efforts to accurately plan and execute the humanitarian response were hampered by inadequate returnee information prior to their arrival; Available funds were inadequate forcing IOM to slash the reinsertion and transportation allowance from USD 100 to USD 50 per person to reach more returnees; Missing, untagged and unattended or unclaimed luggage caused chaos and delayed the operation forcing some returnees to wait at transit centres for days; Cases of human-trafficking were referred to partner NGOs. Trafficked/smuggled returnees who still owed money to smugglers were referred to the police for follow up; Some pregnant returnees attempted to abort their babies while some mothers attempted to abandon their children; this required IOM to arrange further counselling and psychological support before they could go home. Despite these challenges, through the coordination of humanitarian response by the government, IOM and other partners, the returnees were provided with proper meals, water, healthcare, accommodation, transport, free phone calls, and dignity kits at the same venue Partnerships The emergency operation brought together several partners. Among them were; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Agriculture through the Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS); Ministry of Health; Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs and their respective bureaus; United Nations agencies (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Programme (WFP)); international and local NGO partners including Agar, Ethiopia, Ethiopian Red Cross, Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) Spain, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Save the Children, and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). / 19

31 2.2 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RETURNEE POPULATION Age Distribution As shown in Figure 6 below, 84 per cent of returnees were aged between 18 and 30 years, which signalled to stakeholders that most of them need to receive livelihoods support post return. Only 5 per cent were aged below 18 years. Unaccompanied Migrant Children accounted for 6 per cent of the total number of minors. The average age of female returnees at 24 years was slightly lower than that of males at 27 years. The average of minors aged below 18 years was 12 years. Figure 6: Age Distribution of Returnees Gender Composition of Returnees: As shown in Figure 7, six out of every ten returnees were adult males, majority of who were from Amhara region. The adult female returnees were 33 per cent of the total number of returnees while the remaining were children under the age of 18. Most of the children returnees were male, originating mainly from Oromia region while the female minor returnees were mainly from Amhara region. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 20

32 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Figure 7: Gender and Family Composition of Returnees Gender Composition by Region: Figure 8 shows the gender composition of the returnees. In most regions, the number of male returnees is higher than that of females. However, three regional states had more female returnees than men. Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa City Administrations and SNNP regional state had 77, 51 and 52 per cent female returnees out of their respective total number of returnees. Afar region had more than 95 per cent male returnees out of the total figure. Figure 8: Gender composition by Region / 21

33 2.2.4 Areas of Origin: The regional share of the returnees is shown in Figure 9. Three regions received about 90 per cent of the total returnees. More than 42 per cent of the returnees were from Amhara, 26 per cent from Oromia and 22 per cent from Tigray. The remaining 10 per cent were from SNNPR, Addis Ababa, Afar, Somali, Dire Dawa, Harari, Benishangul Gumuz and Gambella regional states combined. Figure 9: Areas of Returnees Origin by Region A more detailed look at the zones within regions where returnees came from is shown in Figure 11. The distribution of the number of returnees per zone/sub-city is done for the top 40 zones only. The top five returnee zones are South Wollo, Eastern Tigray, North Wollo, Oromia Special Zone, and East Arsi. Figure 10: Origins of Returnees by Leading Zones ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 22

34 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Figure 11: Map of Areas of Origin of Returnees by Region Returnee-population ratio per region: The ratio of returnees to population shows likely impact of mass deportations on the respective places of migrant origin. Table V in Annexure 1 and Figure 12 show that Tigray and Amhara regions have the highest ratios, that is, in Tigray region, out of 152 individuals randomly selected, there is at least one KSA returnee, while in Amhara region, every 323 rd. individual is a KSA returnee. The higher the ratio, the greater the socio-economic impact. Figure 12: Returnee Populations Ratios and Percentage by region. / 23

35 2.3.6 The Need for this Assessment: This assessment on the socioeconomic status of the returnees aimed to help IOM and other stakeholders to supplement efforts by the Government of Ethiopia s (GoE) in reducing the impact and reintegrating returnees. The specific objectives of the assessment were as follows: Assess the current status of returnees, their coping mechanisms, pressing needs, and the challenges they face; Show effects on the community following the mass deportation of Ethiopians from KSA; Highlight efforts made by the government and the IOs in the areas and the gaps identified toward successful reintegration of returnees; Provide evidence-based recommendations for a more comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees in the assessment areas replicable in other areas facing similar problems; Assess the perception and understanding of the community and government with respect to irregular migration/human smuggling and trafficking following the mass deportation of Ethiopians from KSA. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 24

36 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office 3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter presents results of the data collected from returnees, families of returnees, community members, government offices and other stakeholders through interviews and focus group discussions. Interview questions and focus group discussions with family members and the community concentrated on the effects of mass deportations on the economic, social and other aspects of their lives. It also looked at how it influenced their views on migration; how they are helping the returnees to reintegrate back into the society and the obstacles they are facing in this regard. Returnees were asked about their lives before migration, while in KSA, how they are coping following the mass deportation and about their plans. The focus group discussions focused on reasons for returnee s initial migration, avenues used to migrate and their situation before and after the mass deportation. Interviews and focus group discussions with government officials focused on region specific challenges in assisting and reintegrating the returnees. It also looked at their strategies to minimize the impact and migration trends in specific regions in the aftermath of the mass deportation. International organizations were asked about the various aspects of mass deportations that their interventions addressed and how their interventions helped to lessen the adverse effects experienced. Interviews and focus group discussions involved 1,150 returnees, 720 returnees families/community members and 112 local level government offices in 16 Woredas. Their responses are presented below. Thus the results focus on characteristics of respondents, their situation before migrating, life in KSA, post-return impact and status, returnees needs and tendencies, and response by stakeholders CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERVIEWED RETURNEES Respondents were selected randomly but with special focus on women and those with medical and other related needs. Using the KSA returnees database, the selection process was conducted jointly with local government offices and IOM. In this section, characteristics of returnees included in the interviews and focus group discussions are presented at length Places of Origin of respondents Results in Table 3 show that 41 per cent of respondents were from Amhara region. Thirty per cent of the respondents were from Tigray region while 24.8 per cent were from the Oromia region. Eight per cent of returnee respondents were from SNNPR. / 25

37 Table 3: Respondents Area of Origin Respondents Areas of Origin Frequency Per Cent Valid Per Cent Cumulative Per Cent Tigray % 27.1% 27.1% Amhara % 40.5% 67.6% Oromia % 24.8% 92.4% SNNP % 7.60% 100.0% Total % 100.0% Age Distribution of Respondents Table 4 show and Figure 13 the age distribution of respondents in the study. The results show that all the respondents were older than 16 years and nearly half were between ages 22 and 26 years, more than twice those aged between 17 and 21 years. A quarter of the total respondents were aged between 27 and 31 years while those above 31 years accounted for about 13 per cent. Table 4: Age Distribution of Respondents Age Category Frequency Per Cent % % % % % % % Total % Figure 13: Age Distribution of Respondents ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 26

38 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Results shown in Figure 14 indicate that forty per cent of respondents from Tigray region were aged between 22 and 26 years, similar to respondents from Amhara and SNNPR regions. Almost half of respondents from Oromia region were aged between 22 and 26 years. Over 70 per cent of respondents aged between 16 and 21 years were from Amhara and Oromia regions while 73 per cent of those aged above 27 years were mainly from the Amhara and Tigray regional states. All respondents older than 47 years were from SNNP Regional State. Figure 14: Age Distribution of Respondents by Region As shown in Table 5 Fifty four per cent of interviewed returnees were male while 46 per cent were female. From Tigray region, interviewed male returnees were twice the number of females while more than half of those interviewed from Amhara region were female. Fifty five per cent of returnees interviewed from Oromia and SNNP regions were male. Table 5: Gender Distribution by Region of Respondents Region Male Female Grand Total Tigray Eastern Zone Southern zone Amhara North Wollo South Wollo Oromia Jimma East Arsi SNNP Gurage Silte Grand Total / 27

39 3.1.3 Educational Attainment of Respondents On one hand, educational attainment affects the decision to migrate and the success rate of migrants in the diaspora. On the other hand, deciding to migrate and actually migrating affects educational attainment of migrants. Results in Figure 15 show that most respondents have an average educational attainment of grade 10 and below. This may partly explain the low skill and manual jobs most respondents had in KSA and may have led to the initial migration due to limited employment opportunities at home. As shown in Figure 1 in Annex 2 over 12 per cent of the interviewed returnees had no formal education. Of these, 62 per cent were from Amhara region. More than three-quarters of interviewed returnees had attended school and nearly half completed Junior high school. One third attended high school while 3 per cent had basic literacy. Figure 15: Education Background of Respondents Marital Status of Respondents Table 6 shows the distribution of the respondents by marital status and region. In all regions those who were single outnumbered the married ones by slight margins. There were very few respondents who reported their status as divorced with a slightly higher number in Tigray and none in SNNP. The zero respondents reporting their status as divorced in SNNP may be explained by religious factors as the population of the region is largely Moslem. Figure II in Annex 2 looks at the total percentages of the respondents by marital status. Fifty two per cent of interviewed returnees were married while 46 per cent were single. The remaining two per cent were divorced. In terms of marital status, regional states have trends that match the overall percentage. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 28

40 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Table 6: Marital Status of Respondents by Region Region Single Married Divorced Grand Total Amhara Oromia SNNP Tigray Total Percent SITUATION OF RESPONDENTS BEFORE MIGRATING This section describes living situation of returnees prior to migration. The section shows interviewed returnees skill level, occupation, reasons for migration, migration avenues used and the source of finance for migration by gender and place of origin Level of skill and occupation of respondents before migrating: Data collected on returnees attendance of training and level of skills prior to migration indicated that majority of them had limited skills and had no previous training. As shown in Table 7, the majority of the respondents (79%) stated that they had not attended any sort of training before migrating to the KSA. Only 21% had some sort of training before working in KSA. The results show that this varied by region. Oromia region had the highest with 42% of respondents having attended some form of training prior to migrating. On the other end of the spectrum, respondents from SNNP region had the least percentage (8%) of returnees who had some training before migrating. Table 7: Type of Training Respondents attended before migrating Region Respondents Have attended some kind of Training Have not attended any training Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Amhara % % Oromia % % SNNR % 54 92% Tigray % % Total Percentile 21% 79% Figure 16, shows that more than 75 per cent of training respondents attended were in construction, textile and garment, carpentry and metalwork (given via TVET institutes), basic business skills, life skills, food preparation and day nursery. However, respondents also mentioned that they barely applied their skills while working in KSA except for those who attended food preparation training. / 29

41 Figure 16: Sector Respondents were in Before Migrating Sector and Occupations: As shown in Figure 15, the data shows many of the returnees were engaged in some activity before migrating. This is an indication of motives for migrating other than unemployment, such as better paying j o b s. Thirty eight per cent were attending school, 45 per cent were employed, and 17 per cent were unemployed and looking for w o r k b efore deciding to migrate. Almost all of the respondents who were attending school before migration, dropped out before they could complete. Out of those employed, 22 per cent were engaged in agricultural activities, 10 per cent micro-business and 8 per cent were in domestic work. Figure 17: Sector/sub-sectors Respondents were in Before Migrating ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 30

42 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Figure 1 in Annex 2 shows that between 35 and 42 per cent of respondents were attending or had attended school before migrating. Figure 18 shows that those who were unemployed are mainly from Tigray and Oromia regions followed by Amhara. In SNNP regional state, most respondents were engaged in agricultural activities. Those who were in school and unemployed together make up for 57 and 52 per cent of the respondents in Tigray and Amhara regional states respectively. The proportion of unemployed males and females are equal. However, there are significant differences in agriculture and domestic work sectors/occupations, dominated by males and females respectively. A there were more fs the results show female respondents attending school/college before migrating were more than men. Figure 18: Sector Respondents were in Before Migrating - by gender Migration Channels Ethiopians travel and stay in KSA in three ways; legally through the proper labour migration arrangements, being smuggled/trafficked across the borders, or legal means such as tourist visa or spiritual pilgrimages with intention to seek work by overstaying their visas. According to the results in Table 8 about 75 per cent of the respondents had irregular status at the time of deportation from KSA. Nearly 60 per cent migrated irregularly while 15.4 per cent entered the KSA legally but fell out of status due to various reasons including overstaying of visas. Table 8: Migratory channels used by respondents Migrants Status Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Per- cent Irregular % 60.2% 60.2% Regular % 24.3% 84.5% Was regular then turned into rregular % 15.5% 100% Total % 100% Missing Values % Total % / 31

43 Most male respondents from all four regions said they migrated irregularly according to the results shown in Figure IV Annex 2 Avenues of migration for female respondents differed from region to region. Figure V Annexure 2 shows that in Amhara and SNNP regional states, most female respondents migrated through legal avenues although a significant number travelled legally but fell out of status afterwards. Majority of the female respondents from Oromia region entered the KSA legally but later lost status. Female respondents from Tigray regional state predominantly migrated through irregular avenues. Remigration is one of the features of the Eastern Irregular Migratory Route that migrants use to reach the Middle Eastern countries, especially KSA. As shown on Table XXXI in Annex 1 almost a quarter of the respondents have re-migrated. About 70 per cent of respondents have migrated to KSA only once, 17 per cent twice and 5 per cent thrice. Six respondents reported having migrated 6 times each. Looking at the regional variations in remigration, Figure 9 shows that most of the respondents had not re-migrated and that where there were instances of remigration it tended to be up to 3r times predominantly with very few above that many times. Respondents from Tigray s Eastern and Southern zones had higher rates of remigration. Table 9: Number of trips respondents made to KSA by Zone Total Count Eastern Zone % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Zone 66% 18% 8% 3% 3% 3% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 14% 16% 24% 50% 30% 50% 16% Southern Zone Count % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Zone 66% 20% 8% 0% 2% 3% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 11% 14% 19% 0% 20% 50% 12% Count North Wollo % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Zone 78% 17% 3% 1% 1% 0% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 22% 19% 14% 17% 20% 0% 21% Count South Wollo % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Zone 80% 17% 3% 0% 0% 0% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 20% 18% 11% 0% 0% 0% 19% Count Jimma % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Zone 79% 16% 5% 0% 0% 0% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 14% 11% 14% 0% 0% 0% 13% Count East Arsi % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Zone 71% 20% 4% 1% 3% 0% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 12% 15% 11% 17% 30% 0% 13% Count Gurage % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Zone 81% 10% 10% 0% 0% 0% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 3% 2% 5% 0% 0% 0% 3% Count Silte % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Zone 66% 28% 3% 3% 0% 0% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 4% 6% 3% 17% 0% 0% 4% ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 32

44 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Total Count % within Respondents Areas Origin - By Zone 74% 18% 5% 1% 1% 1% 100% % within How many times Respondents migrated 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Reasons for migrating Figure 19 show that more than 70 per cent cited economic motives for migrating. Thirty per cent said they migrated to look for better paying jobs, 22 per cent because they were unemployed (including under-employed) and 20 per cent because of limited economic prospects. However, they largely used smugglers and traffickers to migrate. Those who cited pressure from families and friends ranged between 7 and 14 per cent from region to region. Ten per cent of respondents from Amhara and 17 per cent from Tigray regions cited food insecurity as reason for migrating. Forty three per cent of respondents from SNNP region mentioned looking for better paying jobs. Only one per cent cited false promises by smugglers and falling victim to human traffickers. Figure 19: Respondents reasons for migrating Source of Finance for Migration The figures above show most of the respondents migrated through irregular avenues, meaning they needed to raise funds to pay for smugglers and traffickers. Returnees, their families, and community members mentioned the main sources used to raise finances to migrate below. Thirty four per cent said they used loans from informal sources to cover their costs, an indication they may have debts and reintegration challenges if not fully paid back. Figure 20 shows that family and relatives covered about a third of the respondents migration related costs. This was done by selling of family assets, exhausting family savings, or loans. Thirty four per cent of respondents covered their expenses by either selling their own assets or using savings. Overall, there were three main sources: potential migrants, informal lenders, and families/relatives. When the results are analysed by region as shown in Table VIII Annex 1 they show that except in Amhara region which was dominated by loans from informal sources, respondents from the other three regions said their main sources of finances for the trip to KSA were from family and relatives. Amhara had also the highest number of respondents who financed their trip by selling assets. / 33

45 Figure 20: Source of finance for migration 3.3 THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING AND LIVING IN KSA Returnees described their life in KSA based on employment related experiences, how they were treated and the freedom they had. Most respondents said their jobs were the only reason they persevered the ill-treatment they faced. This section details the time respondents spent in KSA, types of jobs, the treatment they got and other experiences Duration of stay in KSA Among the respondents, some were deported immediately after arriving in KSA while others had worked and lived there for up to 17 years. As the Statistics in Table II Annex 1 show, respondents spent on average 32 months (2 years and 8 months) in KSA and a median duration of 24 months. As shown in Figure Annex which shows length of stay by gender, female respondents had stayed relatively longer than male respondents had. Female respondents stayed for about 35 months while male respondents spent approximately 31 months in KSA before deportation. Figure 21 shows that about 51.8 per cent of the respondents stayed in KSA for between 7 and 24 months. These relatively recent arrivals were mostly from Amhara and Tigray regional states. This may indicate an increase of new arrivals from Amhara and Tigray regions during the last two years as compared to the other regions. Respondents from Oromia had stayed relatively longer in KSA than others. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 34

46 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Figure 21: How long respondents stayed in KSA by Region Preferred Destinations in KSA Based on interviews and focus group discussions with returnees, the main cities of residence for Ethiopians in KSA are Ryadh, Jeddah, and Mecca. Except for Mecca, which is relatively dominated by males, male and female respondents equally mention the remaining cities. Figure 22 shows that majority (about 66 per cent) of respondents lived in 6 major cities, mainly Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, Hafr Al-Batin, and Taif. These cities are shown on the map Figure VII in Annex 2. Figure 22: Number of respondents by city Treatment in KSA Overall, respondents described their situation in KSA as harsh and inhumane. However, during focus group discussions, respondents noted the standard of living in KSA is higher than in Ethiopia. Various reports and studies report the brutality migrant workers face in KSA and respondent testimonies confirm these reports. Respondents reported they faced numerous abuses and rights violations in KSA. They mentioned lack of freedom, denial of salary, denial of food, long hours of work without payment, physical abuses, passports confiscation, and so on. One respondent reported having been sexually abused at her work place. Others indicated that they never enjoyed freedom and the space / 35

47 to have what they described as stable lifestyle. They however indicated that they were compelled to persevere and stay on in order to save some more money with the hope that they would be able to set up something in Ethiopia. However, more than 27 per cent of respondents said their treatment by communities in KSA was fair or good, while also stressing they faced mistreatments from police Occupation in KSA As shown in Figure 23, although the major occupation Ethiopians undertake in KSA is known to be domestic work, three additional occupations together absorb more than half of the respondents. Thirty eight per cent of the respondents were engaged in domestic work while 22 per cent worked as daily labourers mostly in construction sites. Fifteen per cent of respondents were engaged in agricultural activities and 14 per cent low-skill construction activities. Figure 23: Occupation of Respondents while in KSA Bilateral agreements on labour migration between Ethiopia and countries such as KSA focus on supply of labour for domestic work. However, as Figure in Annex shows, the share of occupations other than domestic work is significant. Up to 62 per cent of respondents were engaged in other occupations such as daily labourer, agriculture, and construction. This shows there is room for negotiations to diversify the scope of bilateral agreements on labour migration. In addition, this may indicate additional types of pre-departure skills training potential migrants may acquire. Respondents from Tigray region were mainly working as daily labourer, followed by domestic work and agriculture. However, respondents from Amhara were mostly engaged in domestic work, followed by daily labourer and agricultural activities. Respondents from Oromia and SNNP regions were also mainly engaged in domestic work followed by daily labour and construction sectors. From Figure III Annex 2 showing occupation by region of origin, female respondents dominate the work force in KSA. This reflects the labour migration arrangements between Ethiopia and KSA for domestic work. Female respondents were also engaged in unskilled service and industry sector jobs. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 36

48 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Male respondents dominated occupations such as parking, skilled industrial jobs, agriculture and construction. Respondents were also engaged in other occupations in KSA such as driver, janitor in buildings, beauty salon, work within mosques, and as assistants in automotive garages. In addition, three respondents were engaged in the production/distillation of local alcohol, considered illegal in KSA. Asked what other occupations Ethiopians did, respondents mentioned domestic work (including nursery and care taking of elderly), agriculture (especially animal husbandry), daily labourers, and construction Remittances Fifty six per cent of randomly selected families of returnees and community member respondents confirmed that they received, and some are still receiving, remittances from KSA as Figure 24 shows. Out of the remaining 44 per cent, some s aid they received remittances from KSA sporadically mostly during holidays and other occasions. As shown in Table XII in Appendix 1 seventy-three per cent of male and 73.4 per cent of female respondents said they sent remittances on a constant basis to their families and relatives and/or saved back home. Analysis of trends in the sending of remittances by region shown in Table XIII Annex 1 indicates that respondents from Amhara region led in sending at 37.4% followed by those from Tigray at 29. 3%. Over fifty four per cent of returnee respondents from SNNP region and 67.8 per cent from Amhara region said they sent remittances. Eighty per cent of respondents from Oromia and Tigray sent remittances to support family members or save. Figure 24: Families and community members who used to receive remittances Respondent used remittances to support an average of 3.8 dependents in Ethiopia. Some respondents had no dependents while others had up to 15 dependent family members and relatives. Given low monthly income of migrant workers and living costs of about four dependents, this may have affected saving. As Table XII in Annex 1 shows more than 63 per cent of respondents supported 2-7 dependents using regular remittances. About 20 per cent had no dependents while 16 per cent supported an average of three dependents. About 11 per cent supported between 8 and 15 dependents. / 37

49 Figure 25 looks at the distribution of number of dependants within regional states. Respondents from Amhara, Oromia and Tigray regions had similar number of dependents on remittances at about the overall average number of dependents among the respondents highlighted with a circle inside Figure 25. However, SNNP region s peaks at around 8 dependants per respondent which makes the regions average higher than the overall average. The average number of dependants for Female and male respondents was 3.8 and 3.79 respectively. More than 2800 family members or relatives were dependent on remittances sent by returnee respondents. Figure 25: Number of dependents by Region Families of returnees and members of the community interviewed stated that they would receive an average monthly remittance of ETB1808 (equiv. USD90) as shown in Figure 26. Given that the monthly salary of a domestic worker who travels legally to KSA, mentioned by several returnees, is about USD200, this shows that returnees would send about 45% of their incomes. This differs between regions, Amhara region having the highest with ETB2303 (equiv.usd115) average monthly remittance income and SNNP having the lowest with an average of ETB1546 (equiv. USD77). Figure 26: Average monthly incomes of families/community member (ETB) ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 38

50 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Regarding methods used to transfer remittances to Ethiopia, 77 per cent of the returnee respondents said they used bank transfers to send remittances, but those out of status had to send through Ethiopians with legal status or KSA citizens, sometimes for a fee. These results shown in Figure VIII in Annex 2 indicate that migrants did not have full or direct access to banking services due to either their status or the arrangements they had with their employers. L imited access to banking for migrants increases the costs of transfer on top of high bank transfer rates. Returnee respondents who had legal status said transfer through banks depended on whether employers allowed them. Another option used by respondents was transferring through agents and Ethiopians travelling back home. Here, the term agents as used by respondents includes smugglers/ traffickers and legal employment agents. Results show that some of the respondents had limited direct access to banking. This may have contributed to low remittance saving rates. Out of the 31 per cent who saved their remittances, 40 per cent were female and 60 per cent male as shown in Figure 25. Bearing in mind that most legal migrants were female, they however tended to send more through the banks than through other chanels. Men appeared to take more risks by sending through other travelling to Ethiopia and other Ethiopians in KSA. Figure 27: Channels used by returnees to remit back home by gender Thirty one per cent of returnee respondents said they saved their remittances while about 54 per cent said they had not saved. Returnees from Amhara and Tigray regions had higher savings, with 39.6 per cent and 37.5 per cent respectively. SNNP region had the least share of 9.8 per cent. As shown in Table XV Annex 1 at least 49 per cent of respondents from Tigray region had saved their remittances while respondents from Amhara and Oromia had 37.5% and 28.3% respectively. Only 9.8 per cent of respondents from SNNP region saved their remittances Skills Profile of Returnees Depending on the labour market, migrants may be skilled, low skilled, fairly skilled or unskilled. Migrants may lack skills or they may have skills that are not applicable or in demand in the diaspora countries. Ethiopians migrating to the Middle Eastern countries are mainly unskilled or with lowlevel skills. However, they are increasingly travelling with skills that are in demand. Thus, they help contribute to economic development of host countries and if their skills improve, it helps them pursue upward mobility in the labour market. / 39

51 Once migrants return to countries of origin, the skills acquired or improved in the diaspora may or may not be applicable or transferable. The relevance of skills depends on economic differences between host countries and countries of origin. If the skills are relevant in the country of origin, they are likely to be applicable post-return. Ethiopians migrating to countries such as KSA are less skilled and are often engaged in lower level occupations. Hence, applicability of skills acquired by the returnees is limited but slightly higher than when they left. Respondents cited the main achievement to be the skills they acquired in KSA. Returnees said skills and lessons learnt will help them reintegrate and support their dependents. However, some respondents said they need additional skills and resources to make a living. Some of the skills returnees acquired in KSA include Language, operating kitchen equipment, and other machineries. In addition, some returnees acquired skills in financial literacy, construction, carpentry, and operating machineries. Other skills acquired include modern agriculture techniques, better understanding of the benefits of legal migration, appreciating freedom and improved work discipline and attitude. In 2013, a study by Ayu Pratiwi, Yasuyuki Todo, and Petr Matous, titled The Impact of Return Migration on Agriculture Technology Adoption in Asella, Arsi-Zone, Ethiopia found that return migrants do not bring new agriculture information directly to the household. Rather, they significantly increase information absorption about new agricultural practices and act as early adopters by implementing new agricultural techniques within the household. Although returnees worked in low skills occupations especially in agriculture and construction, they learnt how to use modern inputs and equipment and operate machineries. Ethiopia has a big agricultural sector and a booming construction industry. Therefore, returnee skills and exposure contributes to community adoption of modern technology POST-RETURN IMPACT AND STATUS Deportations lead to economic and social consequences. The consequences primarily affect deportees more than receiving communities and governments. Sometimes they affect, at least in the short run, the host communities in destination/transit countries. Returnees face difficulties ranging from inability to support themselves to stigmatization by their own communities. Often, the burden of supporting deportees falls on families, communities and governments. This section discusses the impact of the mass deportations from KSA and the status of returnees and families/community members. In order to get different perspectives, interviews and focus group discussions involved families of returnees, community members, returnees and relevant government officials. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 40

52 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Overall Situation and Impact Following the mass returns, everyone was informed about the possible socio-economic impact on the receiving communities and the uncertain future of the returnees regarding rehabilitation and reintegration. This section summarizes the perspectives of returnees, families and community members, and relevant government officials regarding the impact of the returns and the status of the returnees. During the focus group discussions with the relevant government offices, the feeling of the community was described as sad and happy at the same time. An official describes... it was sad and good at the same time - from what we have been hearing, we were really happy to see them alive but the fact that they came without their belongings was again sad. Since they came, they are living with their families. Some of them are engaged in different jobs. But most of them are expecting help from government, especially since they were first registered and given advice on how to participate in different jobs creation efforts stated an official in Tigray region describing their status. They reported ambivalence among community members about the possible impact of return by such a significant number of youth. At the beginning of the operation there was fear of disturbance and economic pressure, but now it is stabilizing they added. Nonetheless, in some areas there are impacts such as instability of returnees due to dissatisfaction in their lives and in some densely populated areas there have been violent encounters mostly characterised by conflict over resources. Some of frustration expressed by the returnees includes struggling to pay high house rents, inflation, feeling of hopelessness among returnees, bad influence to the youth in terms of different addictions and irregular migration. The officials stated the process is difficult because they were unprepared for mass reception of young citizens with vast needs. Officials said efforts to reintegrate them, provide them with information, and enhance awareness of the community are ongoing. We have had some meetings together with the returnees and we gave them information about how to organise themselves in groups and how they can work and support themselves said one official. Officials pointed out the returnees did not want to work in their homeland, but prefer re-migration, and that they are selective about the type of work they want to do. Officials also mentioned that returnees feel abandoned since they have high expectations from the government. Some of those ideas shared by respondents about the impact of returning during the focus group discussions are shown in Table 10. Table 10: Summary of the Mass Deportation Impact Household level economic effect Social peace and security Bad habits, attitudes, peer influence etc. Positive contributions Overall observations in the local economies Discontinuation of remittances for dependent community members Increase in crimes such as mugging and other problems Bad influence on children migration Some of them are contributing to raising awareness about the dan- gers of migrating irregularly Rise in unemploy ment / 41

53 Returnees have be- come burden to society since they spend money though not earning. For this, they approach members of the community Returnees blamed for some in- stabilities witnessed in some communi- ties - like fights in public areas, fre- quent bar fights that disturb the neigh- bourhood etc. As a way out of the social stigma, they often talk about how good living in KSA was, will achieve that again, and thus is influencing the youth. Mass mobili- zations organized by government with the help of returnees at local level have helped to avoid the feared destabiliz- ing effects Rise in the overall price of goods and services (e.g. house rent has risen since the KSA returns) Pressure on the eco- nomic status of the receiving families conflicts among returnees caused mainly due to loan and other issues of financial nature, which in some Kebeles led to bloodshed. They are introducing the youth to unwant- ed addictions such as cigarette, shisha, drugs, heavy drinking etc. Chat and shisha houses are growing. Some came with skills and finance they use to help their families Since they do not have money, they borrow from community members, which they are most of the time unable to repay, and this is creating some negative vibes against returnees. Community members and government officials stated that public services, such as healthcare, were initially overwhelmed but the demand eased with time though still significant. However, requests for services such as support with job creation and microcredit have increased significantly. Due to financial constraints and other requirements, the requests have are unfulfilled. Respondents from the community and government officials noted that returnees show disappointment, hopelessness, disharmony with community and continuous complaints among other forms of discontent. These effects stem mainly from delays experienced in socioeconomic reintegration and a number of other reasons. One other reason is the mismatch between returnees expectations. Most of the returnees had hoped to work for few years, save sufficient capital, build a house at home, return with assets, and engage in their ideal business activity. This followed by the socio-economic challenges and dependency can result in problems. Returnees may experience reverse culture-shock 1, which involves distress and anxiety after returning. This may take several months after migrating depending on how integrated they were in KSA. Discontentment and disorientation arises while adapting to new environment after having integrated in KSA. Newly acquired behaviours or norms might lead to conflict with the public. Family members of returnees and community members were asked to specify the impact of the deportation on their living conditions. The results shown in Table 11 indicate that there were four major impacts mentioned, namely, increase in overall household consumption (28%), spending more on food and housekeeping from their household income (20%), perceived increment in the overall price of goods and services (21%), and the sudden reduction in household income (25%). Only six per cent of respondents mentioned reduction in access to public services as a significant impact. Respondents from Amhara, Oromia, and SNNP regions stated household costs increased due to the deportations, coupled with sudden reduction in household income. Respondents from Tigray region cited increase in the general prices of goods and services followed by increase in overall household costs and reduced household income. Twenty-eight per cent of respondents said despite the challenges faced, the safe arrival of family members was good. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 42

54 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Table 11: Impact of the Deportation on Living Conditions Region Increase in overall family consumption Increase in expenses particularly for food and housekeeping Increase in the general price of goods and services Sudden Reduction in family income Reduced access to public services Amhara Oromia SNNP Tigray Total Families of returnees and community members cited inability of returnees to generate income as the main challenge. Returnees are an economic burden not only to the families but also to the community. Respondents added that disappointment is caused by the fact that it cost money to send their loved ones to KSA but they are now left indebted. Some respondents said they sold land and cattle to send their children to KSA and now they find themselves unable to provide food as remittances have stopped. Some respondents expressed dissatisfaction about how stakeholders including the government are handling the reintegration support. However, most respondents said things are getting better since stakeholders especially government have initiatives to support returnees. Respondents mentioned factors that have worsened their financial conditions such as returnees with new-born babies and addiction to drugs and alcohol. On the other hand, some respondents said they observed no change in household economic situation because they had not been receiving much remittance. A few also said they are better off since returnees managed to save and bring capital back they used to expand and generate additional income. Some are expanding their businesses to meet the increased demand in their localities. Most respondents reported t h at they have not witnessed disruptions to peace and security in their communities as the results in Table 12 show. Only 10 per cent of respondents cited a rise in criminal activities after the mass deportation due to unemployment, drug and alcohol addictions of some returnees. Thirty two per cent of respondents had experienced disputes between returnees, family members and community members that disrupted peace in their locality. Respondents, as the core causes of the disputes, noted frustrations due to unmet expectations of the returnees, their emotional vulnerability, aggressive behaviour, and debt related encounters. Some families and community members said they have difficulties communicating with returnees who came back psychologically abused and this is aggravating the disagreements. / 43

55 Table 12: Summary of the Respondents Description on the Peace and Security in their Families and Community Responses Frequency Percentage Criminal Activities 31 10% No Disturbance % Family and community disagreements % Total % Socio-Economic Status of Returnees The social and economic status of returnees is examined below by looking at several key dimensions that define their return and attempt to reintegrate successfully in communities back in Ethiopia. These dimensions include the community support they received upon return, their experience of social stigma or lack thereof, their economic circumstances such as housing, income, debt, savings, and how they cope with cost of living. Other dimensions examined include how they are coping to meet their family responsibilities and support those who depend on them. The role of communities in the rehabilitation and reintegration of members in vulnerable conditions has proven vital. Traumatized returnees need support from the host communities. Since returnees economically supported their families and relatives while in KSA, expectation of help for returnees from family as a reciprocal gesture is high. During focus group discussions with community members and returnees, respondents indicated that returnees have yet to significantly reintegrate into the civil society structures of their communities such as edir 10 and other assemblies. Some community members in Amhara and Tigray regional states observed improvement with returnees settling in and participating in such structures welcomed by the community. Forced returns of migrant workers, both documented and undocumented, often have social consequences on return. One of the negative experiences that returnees experience is stigmatization as failures. Proper management of return migration requires sufficient preparations to avoid social stigma. Returnees were asked whether they experienced social stigma or stereotyping from community members after their return. A quarter of the returnees stated they have experienced social stigma. They observed that the sentiment around the community is that they have failed in their mission and their families and are doomed to be dependents. 10 Edir is a traditional civil society self-help group/association through which the community members try to support each other at specific events such as mourning or weddings etc. In Ethiopia, it is one of the strongest indicators of social bondage and cohesion. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 44

56 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Being trafficked and sexually abused are sensitive issues that can cause social stigma. While only 25.5 % of returnees reported experiencing stigma, those who are not victims of trafficking can also experience social stigma. However, some returnees observed that some community members assume that all returnees are victims of trafficking or sexual abuse especially for female respondents with newborns. As shown in Tables XVI and XVII in Annex 1 there were some regional differences in the extent to which respondents experienced stigma. Respondents from SNNP regional state experienced relatively less social stigma and stereotyping in their interaction with families and community members while those from Oromia experienced relatively higher levels of stigma. Sixty three per cent of males and 37 per cent of females stated that they have experienced social stigma. Securing shelter after returning to a place one had left several years before with limited or no resources is one of the significant challenges faced by returnees. Returnees experienced problems with housing due to limited financial capacity to pay monthly rent. Housing for returnees with families is important. In such cases joining and living with families, relatives or friends becomes unviable. Fifty four per cent of respondents are living with their families and close relatives as the results in Figure 28 show. Twenty-four per cent are renting using the limited amount of money they had and family support. Twenty per cent own their places. Most of those who own houses had land before migrating and built or renovated using income generated in KSA. In all regions as shown in Table XI in Annex 1, both male and female respondents solved their housing needs, at least temporarily, in similar manner. Figure 28: Housing Conditions of Respondents The study also looked at the debt burden of the returnees. Potential migrants commonly borrow to finance travel. They borrow from smugglers, local informal sources, family members or relatives, and sometimes, formal sources. The migrant can be the debtor or their families who become responsible for payments. Potential migrants often borrow to pursue dreams of employment and better pay abroad. Due to the debts, migrants may become overwhelmed by the debts. This often happens when unplanned returns lead to default and make returnees or debtors desperate and vulnerable. Table 13 shows that 26 per cent of respondents said they had unrepaid debt upon return. Table XXI in Annex 1 shows that of the 26 per cent who had debt, 40 per cent of indebted returnees were / 45

57 female, while 60 per cent were male. The regional differences shown in Table XXII Annex 1 indicate that 32 per cent of respondents from SNNP region had unrepaid debt upon return. In Oro mia region, 31 per cent of returnee respondents had debt, 25 per cent from Amhara, and 21 p er cent f ro m Tigray regional states had unrepaid debt upon return. Table 13: Summary of the Respondents Indebtedness Status Indebted Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent No % 73.70% 73.70% Yes % 26.30% 100.0% Total % 100.0% Missing % Total % Generating income enables returnees to cover their living costs and reintegrate successfully. Most interviewed returnees said they have no income. The results in Table XXIII Annex 1 show that only a quarter of returnees said they are currently earning income. This can push returnees to deplete savings without investing it in sustainable income generating activities, re-migrate, and become indebted by accepting unreasonable loan arrangements, sell assets, and so on. The impacts discussed in the previous section are exacerbated by lack of income. Close to 70% of the respondents currently earning income are from Tigray (36.1%) and Amhara (32.5%) regions as shown in Table 14. But looking at the percentages within a region, only 19.9% of the respondents from Amhara region have managed to earn income. Oromia region comes a close second with 22% of the respondents having a source of income. SNNP and Tigray regions have 29% and 33% of their respective respondent returnees currently earning an income. At least 38.2 per cent of female and 61.8 per cent male respondents have a source of income as the results in Table XXV Annex 1 show. Table 14: Summary of respondents income status Income Status Tigray Respondents Region of Origin Amhara Oromia SNNP Total Number Not currently earning income No Income % Not currently earning income 24.00% 43.10% 25.80% 7.10% % % Not currently earning an income within Respondents Areas of Origin Region 66.80% 80.10% 77.60% 70.70% 75.20% Number currently earning income earning an income Total % Currently earning income 36.10% 32.50% 22.50% 8.90% % % Currently earning income within Respondents Areas of Origin 33.20% 19.90% 22.40% 29.30% 24.80% Total % Total 27.00% 40.40% 25.00% 7.50% % % Total within Respondents Areas of Origin % % % % % ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 46

58 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office The average monthly income of all returnee respondents who are currently earning an income is ETB (equiv. USD31) as shown in Table XXV Annex 1. The results also show the income gap between regions. The region with the highest average income is Oromia at ETB followed by Tigray at ETB These two regions therefore recorded average incomes that were above the average for all respondents. The region with the lowest average income is Amhara with ETB Respondents from SNNP region reporting an average income of ETB per month. Both regions average incomes were below the average for all respondents. Female respondents have an average monthly income of ETB471.5, 34 per cent which was less than male respondents. Female respondents recorded average incomes that were below the total average income for respondents while male respondent s income was above that average. The respondents were asked what their sources of income were since their return to Ethiopia. The results are shown in Figure 27. Sixty four per cent of respondents with income are self-employed through micro- businesses. Nineteen per cent are engaged in agricultural activities, 11 per cent are employed, 4 per cent are depend on income generating support packages from government and 2 per cent earn income from rental properties. As shown in Table XXVI Annex 1, micro- business activities are the main source of income in all regions, except SNNP. In SNNP region, most respondents with income are engaged in agricultural activities. Other income generating activities include shop keeping, weaving, laundry services, and cooking. Figure 29: Current Source of Income of Respondents The respondents were asked questions that sought to establish the extent of their responsibilities within their families. These questions dwelt on the household headship status, number of dependents they supported and their contribution to household s expenditure. The results in Table 15 show that although most returnees are young, 47 per cent of them are heads of households. Out of the returnees who are heads of households, 60 per cent are male and 40 per cent female. The regional differences shown in Table XXVII Annex 1 Show that Amhara had 40 per cent of the respondents who were heads of household which was the highest followed by Tigray with 27 per cent. SNNR had the lowest percentage of respondents who were heads of households at just 7.6 per cent. Taking into consideration from the results above on income differences showing that fe- / 47

59 male returnees earn 34 per cent less than males, these results indicate that female returnees carry a heavier economic burden since 40 per cent of the respondents reported being female and heads of their households. However, as shown in Table XXVII annex 1 of all the respondents from SNNP, close to half (46.6%) were heads of household. This level of household headship within respondents from one region was only exceeded by that of Tigray at 58.3 per cent. Table 15: Household head status by gender Household head status Male Female Total Not Head of Household Yes -Head of Household Number Not currently head of household % Not head of household 49.40% 50.60% % % Not currently head of household within Respondents gender 48.40% 58.60% 53.10% Number currently head of household % Currently head of household 59.60% 40.40% % % Currently head of household within Respondents gender 51.60% 41.40% 46.90% Total Total % Total 54.20% 45.80% % % Total within Respondents Areas of Origin % % % Results in Table 16 show that on average, each returnee respondent has two dependents to support. The number of dependents per returnee ranged from a high of 12 to 0. However, returnees from SNNP region had the highest average number of dependents estimated at 4.37 per returnee. This was approximately 60 per cent more than in Amhara region which had the lowest at 1.73 dependents per returnee. Oromia region reported number of dependents per returnees that were also above the average for all regions while the Tigray, like Amhara had figures that was lower than the regional average. Table 16: Summary dependents statistics and average number of dependents by region Summary statistics: Number of Dependants Average number of Dependants by Region Valid Count 692 Region Average Number of Dependants Missing Cases 83 Tigray 1.75 Mean 2.16 Amhara 1.73 Median 1 Oromia 2.8 Std. Deviation SNNP 4.37 Range 12 Minimum 0 Maximum 12 ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 48

60 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office When respondents were asked how they contributed to household expenditure, only 25 per cent of returnees cited an existing source of income. Thirty seven per cent of income-earning returnees were able to cover their costs of living, representing 9.2 per cent of all returnees that were able to cover their living costs. Table XXVIII in annex 1 shows the number of returnees who are able to cover their living costs. No returnees from Oromia region earning income are able to cover their living costs. In contrast, 75 per cent of respondents from Tigray region are able to cover their living costs. Twenty one percent of respondents from Amhara and 29 per cent from SNNP regions are able to cover their living costs. Since few of them have income, respondents said they have other ways to cover their living costs. As results in Table 17 show, 58 per cent of respondents survive through support from family and relatives, 25 per cent savings, and 8 per cent loans from family and relatives. Others were self-employment, employment (including working as daily labourers), and engaging in agricultural work for generating income or means of survival. In addition, some intend to re-migrate to overcome idleness and socioeconomic pressure. The results also show that 4 per cent of the respondents depend on remittances which indicate that they have other migrant family members. Table 17: Summary of means used to cover living expenses by respondents with no source of income Means Number Per Cent Family/relatives support % Savings % Loan from family/relatives 48 8% Remittances 24 4% Support from friends 15 3% Support from Government or CSOs 9 2% Microfinance Loan 3 1% Total % As shown in Table XIV annex 1 respondents had savings from their years of working in KSA. The average amount of savings respondents used for reintegration purposes was ETB27, (equiv. USD ). Male respondents had relatively higher average savings with ETB32, (equiv. USD1614) than female respondents who had ETB21, (equiv. USD ). There was also noticeable variation in savings that the respondents had by region as the results in Table 18 shows. Respondents from Amhara region had savings 26 per cent more than the overall average. Returnees from Amhara region had saved on average ETB37, (equiv. USD1876), and returnees from Oromia and Tigray region had ETB25, (equiv. USD1260) and ETB23, (equiv. USD1166) respectively. However, respondents from SNNP region had a relatively lower average saving from remittances at ETB (equiv. USD238). / 49

61 Table 18: Amount of saving respondents had for reintegration by region Region Average Sum Who had Savings for Reintegration Who used remitted Per Cent Tigray 23, ,076, % Amhara 37, ,316, % Oromia 25, ,134, % SNNP 4, , % Total 7,665, % Risks related to traffickers/smugglers: Most of the respondents used smugglers to KSA and some were trafficked across borders. Some of the consequences resulting from this include debt bondage, disagreements, and vulnerabilities due to physical and psychological abuse by smugglers/traffickers, intimidations upon return, or being retrafficked. Returnee respondents were asked if they still had fear or encountered risks upon return in relation to smugglers and traffickers. These results shown in Table 19 show that slightly above a quarter of them (27.5%) responded affirmatively. This calls for coordinated efforts by all stakeholders to abolish such threats against vulnerable returnees who find themselves in greater desperation upon return than before. More than 60% of the respondents from SNNP region stated they feared smugglers and traffickers upon return. Thirty-five percent in Tigray and 26 per cent Amhara regions said they had similar fears. Only 12 per cent of respondents in Oromia said they had similar fears. Fifty six per cent of male and 46 per cent female respondents said they feared smugglers and traffickers upon return. Results in Table XX in Annex 1 shows respondents observations as to whether they knew of other returnees with challenges related to traffickers and smugglers upon return. C l o s e to 40 per cent said they knew returnees with such challenges. Table 19: Summary of the respondents fear in relation to smugglers and traffickers by region Region No Yes Total Number Per Cent Number Per Cent Number Per Cent Tigray % 72 35% % Amhara % 81 26% % Oromia % 23 12% % SNNP 23 40% 35 60% % Total % % % ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 50

62 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office The study also sought to establish what coping strategies that the returnees had adopted since their deportation from KSA. Based on focus group discussions and interviews with returnees, their families, and community members, it emerged that returnees mainly relied on support from family and friends to cope with the socio-economic challenges they faced. Most returnee respondents said financial and social support mostly from family and friends helped them deal with social stigma. Additionally, returnees expect support from the government. Respondents try different coping mechanism. Some tried to re-migrate via the Eastern route but failed to cross the border. To generate income, most respondents said they immediately tried the sectors with which they are familiar like agriculture and micro-business. They said, with government support, they have interest in trying livelihoods opportunities in their areas and other parts of the country. Some respondents are opting for education as well. I just realized the difference education and training can bring to my life one of the respondents stated stressing on the importance of getting training/education for a better chance at earning income. One of the strategies adopted by deported returnees is to re-migrate due to challenges they face post-arrival. Due to unpreparedness, returnees from KSA have found it difficult to forget about the life, belongings, and social networks and so on, that they established in KSA. Remigration remains an option for those who had limited or no savings. Therefore, they need support with social and economic reintegration and psychological preparation to resettle in their areas of origin. As shown in Table 20, about 59 per cent of returnees said they do not intend to re-migrate nor do they consider it as a coping mechanism. However, some said they are preparing to re-migrate. Forty four per cent of respondents who intend to re-migrate are from Amhara region. Only 33 per cent of returnees from SNNP region intend to re-migrate. However, 55 to 64 per cent of respondents from the other regions are considering remigration to support themselves and their families. About 44 per cent female and 56 percent of male returnees intend to re-migrate as shown in Table XXX in Annex 1. Table 20: Summary of respondents intention of remigration by region Intentions to Remigrate Not Intending to Remigrate Intending to Re- Migrating Respondents Region of Origin Tigray Amhara Oromia SNN Number Per Cent Number Per Cent Number Per Cent Number Per Cent % % % % % % % % As the data in Table XXXI in Annex 1 shows, respondents mentioned that more than 5000 returnees intended to re-migrate while some might already had re-migrated. Tigray and Amhara regions accounted for more than 90 per cent of the total number who intended to re-migrate or had already done so. / 51

63 Seventy eight per cent of returnees who intend to re-migrate stated they will use legal migration avenues, while about 20 per cent stated they will use irregular avenues again according to results shown in Table XXXII in Annex 1. About 80 per cent of those intending to re-migrate illegally hail from Tigray region. Fewer female respondents intend to re-migrate irregularly than males. According to returnees, there is an apparent gap in information on the process and benefits of legal migration. Returnees seem to believe legal migration is more expensive than irregular migration. This calls for actions pertaining to information dissemination and tighter monitoring/controlling of the labour migration practices. Respondents explained that it is easier to re-migrate than before since they know the avenues. we now know what to and not to pay for and whom to contact. We cannot be ripped off as before one returnee explains. Returnees mentioned that some returnees are involved in irregular avenues. This shows remigration involves returnees and potential migrants, who are as some returnees explained promised easy journey by returnees who know it better. As shown in Table 21, an overwhelming 84 per cent of respondents who intend to re-migrate prefer to try KSA again. Four per cent prefer Kuwait and 3 per cent prefer UAE. Other preferred destinations include USA or European countries, Qatar and South Africa. Table 21: Summary of the intended destinations for remigration by gender Intended Destination Gender Beirut Israel KSA Kuwait Missed Qatar RSA Sudan UAE USA or Europe Not decided Total Female Male Total Per Cent 0% 0% 84% 4% 0% 1% 1% 0% 3% 2% 4% During focus group discussions and interviews, some respondents who intend to re-migrate explained their preparations. They pointed out the need for psychological readiness or as they put it, being ready to handle whatever challenges they might encounter and using lessons learnt from their previous experience. They also intend to undergo training to increase chances of getting work in destination countries. They intend to undergo training in driving, construction, upgrading/learning foreign languages, hairdressing, and food preparation. Based on their experience in KSA, respondents are confident these skills have high demand and if mastered, will get them well- paying jobs. Returnees intend to prepare financially too. They plan to raise sufficient funds to cover their remigration travel whether irregular or according to their plans legal. Respondents seemed to lack knowledge about how legal migration works. Respondents cited family members, loans, selling of assets (including land), and savings as possible sources of funds to finance re-migration. Increased interest to acquire passports by respondents shows their intention to use legal means of migration. Respondents said they waited for the lifting of a ban on legal migration to the Middle East. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 52

64 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office However, they pointed out information gaps about requirements of legal migration, skills in demanded, information about legal rights of migrants, and so on. About 20 per cent of respondents feel unable to contribute to their communities. Over half of respondents stated the skills they acquired, like driving, modern agriculture technics, business skills, and construction, will help them contribute to prosperity of their families and thus, the community. Respondents cited improved perspectives about the environment, work habits and appreciation of what they have as among their gains from migrating to KSA. Respondents also said they will enhance the saving habits of the community and transfer skills in service delivery and business. We were unemployed and picky explains one respondent from Amhara region, but of course not everyone had the same opportunity, however I can speak for myself and some of my friends Respondents participating in the focus group discussions requested for support from government and mentioned that they plan to show they can work at home and change their lives. Though majority of us are not currently engaged in any economic activity, if provided with the right type of support, we are ready to contribute by applying the skills and the motivation we have said one respondent. Respondents stressed that they intend to contribute to the safety and wellbeing of communities by changing the attitudes of people about migration with specific focus on irregular migration. Families of returnees and community members discussed the level and potential contributions of returnees to the community. Nearly 40 per cent of respondents said they have not observed any significant contribution made by returnees while just as many respondents argued they have seen promising economic contributions made by the returnees, making them an asset to the country rather than a burden. Respondents mentioned returnees contributed by supporting efforts to raise awareness on negative consequences of irregular migration and sharing innovative business ideas. At least, there was consensus that returnees contribute to the community by assisting in domestic chores such as cooking, caring for family members and cleaning. In addition, some female returnees utilize cooking and household management skills to find employment while most male returnees work in the construction and transportation sectors. A common preventive measure to combat human trafficking and smuggling of people is communicating experiences of migrants in an effective and sufficient manner. Events like the mass deportations of Ethiopian migrant workers from KSA, will have some lasting impression on communities. The study solicited community views on the returnees. Members of the community and family members commented on how the mass deportations had influenced views about irregular migration. More than half said they have changed their minds about irregular means of migration. After witnessing the fate of most irregular migrants, many respondents said they have better understanding of the risks involved. According to them, families and communities now prefer legal migration avenues for safety. Some respondents completely oppose migration regardless of avenues used. Some respondent thought / 53

65 there is no change in attitude about irregular migration because many members of the community benefitted economically from remittances from irregular migrants who went to KSA. In addition, some respondents said more people have been using irregular means because of the ban on legal travel to the Middle East NEEDS AND TENDENCIES OF RETURNEES This section highlights information about respondent s needs, behaviours, rehabilitation and reintegration. There are two parts to this section focusing on the medical and psychosocial needs; and training, job creation, and economic reintegration needs. Evaluation of returnees mental, psychological, and economic status on arrival identified some preliminary needs. Some needed emergency and continuing medical care, psychological and social support, rehabilitation, and economic reintegration. This section highlights specific needs identified by returnees, families and community members and local stakeholders, particularly relevant government offices tasked to assist returnees with rehabilitation and reintegration Returnees Future Plans and Needs Thirty seven per cent of returnees said they plan to start their own micro-businesses. Most of them aim to open convenience stores or small retail shops and restaurants. Many of them mentioned that they face financial constraints, but they remain optimistic that government support will help them achieve their goals Twenty six per cent of the respondents aim to re-migrate to KSA while a few aim to migrate to South Africa, Kuwait, and UAE. Most of them plan to migrate using legal avenues while a few still intend to use the irregular avenues. Most said that they plan to return to Ethiopia to start their own businesses after making enough money abroad. As the results in Table 22 show, a few of the respondents indicated that they aim to engage in agricultural and animal breeding activities, but face difficulties obtaining resources such as land and start-up capital like cattle and seeds. Twelve per cent plan to find employment in their field of expertise though many of them will do any type of work as long as they generate income to support themselves and their families. Some of the jobs mentioned include construction, driving and Language teaching. Only 2 per cent of the respondents have interest in continuing education or vocational training. With or without a plan, 70 per cent intend to stay in Ethiopia and make a living. Table 22: Future plans of the returnees Response Total Percent Look for employment opportunities 80 12% Go back to agriculture and animal breeding 30 5% ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 54

66 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office No specific plan yet, but want to stay and work in Ethiopia 95 15% Continue education 14 2% Re-migrate % Set up micro-business % Missing 21 3% Grand Total % The returnees also had various needs that they needed met upon return. Stakeholders who responded to the massive return numbers focused on medical, mental and psychosocial support for returnees. The intervention is believed to have saved lives by providing medical care to pregnant women in labour and physically weakened lactating mothers and infants. During focus group discussions and interviews, respondents stressed the need for mental and psychosocial care. Respondents said they h ave access to local healthcare services as other citizens although sometimes they were unable to afford prescribed medicines. Respondents mentioned the huge need for stabilizing and treating returnees with mental and psychological challenges. As shown in Table XXIII Annex 1 nearly 40 per cent of respondents said they need psychosocial support upon return. Considering the nature of the treatments required for such trauma related psychological complications, this indicates the need for continuing follow up and treatment at returnees areas of origin. Respondents from Amhara and Oromia regions had higher needs for mental and psychosocial support upon arrival. Fifty four per cent of respondents from Oromia region and 45 per cent of respondents from Amhara region stated they needed psychosocial support. However, respondents also mentioned not everyone w h o n e e d e d mental and psychosocial support had requested for services at the airport upon arrival. Approximately 35 per cent of respondents from SNNP and 18 per cent from Tigray also reported to have needed psychosocial support. Forty seven per cent female and 53 per cent were male respondents needed psychological support. Forty two per cent of returnees said they needed psychosocial support. Out of the total number of respondents from each region, 49 per cent of returnees from Amhara, 42 per cent from SNNP, 40 per cent from Oromia and 31 per cent from Tigray stated they currently need mental and psychosocial support. Among these returnees 44 per cent were female and 56 per cent male. Respondents said they know of other returnees who need psychosocial support. From figures by respondents in the specific Woredas, about 2269 returnees need psychosocial support Needs for training, job creation, and reintegration support To support themselves and their families, returnees already engaged themselves in economic activities or, as mentioned above, intend to start some type of business. To succeed in their endeavours, respondents mentioned specific types of support that they thought would assist them in resettling successfully. The results in Figure 30 show that 35 per cent requested financial support, 34 per cent skills and technical training and 31 per cent material support. Specifically, 35 per cent of respondents / 55

67 cited availability of microcredit as essential to help cover costs of starting businesses. Twenty four per cent of respondents mentioned working premises for setting up micro-business. Nearly 21 per cent of said they need training in business skills to succeed economically, while 21 per cent said they need to acquire technical and vocational training. Seven per cent requested material support and 3 per cent technical assistance such as extension workers. Figure 30: Type of Support Requested by Respondents Results in Table XXXVII Annex 1 show that in Tigray regional state, 29 per cent of respondents stressed the need for microcredit facility and 26 per cent business skills trainings while 17 per cent have interest in technical and vocational training and provision of working premises. In Amhara region, 37 per cent said provision of working premises, 36 per cent access to microcredit and 19 per cent business skills trainings. Forty seven per cent of respondents from Oromia region believe they need microcredit facility, 17 per cent b usiness skills training and 14 per cent provision of working premises. Twenty seven per cent of returnees from SNNP need business skills training, 24 per cent technical support, 18 per cent microcredit and 16 per cent technical and vocational training. Male and female respondents prefer the same types of support for successful economic reintegration. This includes access to microcredit services, working premises, and business skills training. Respondents requested for government and community support with driving skills training, legal migration, housing, arable land to the youth, financial support, and moral and psychological services. The specified training needed was in business, technical and vocational skills. These include basic business skills, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. Specific technical and vocational skills requested include hairdressing, driving, plumbing, food preparation, hospitality and service delivery, construction, electronics (maintenance of cell phones, and other gadgets), carpentry, and other trades. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 56

68 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Respondents also expressed interest in agricultural technology (irrigation technics & animal husbandry), auto-mechanics, basic Computer skills, and skills to run day nursery schools. Figure 29 below shows more than 93 per cent of respondents said they want to be self-employed. Seventy one per cent of respondents said their ideal occupation is business. Sixteen per cent expressed interest in farming and livestock breeding. Six per cent preferred artisanship. The regional preferences were closely aligned with those observed above with an inclination towards business when all respondents were considered. As shown in Table XL Annex 1 Fifty eight per cent of respondents from Tigray region cited business as their ideal occupation, 13 per cent farming, 11 per cent livestock breeder, and 9 per cent artisanship. Seventy eight per cent of respondents from Amhara region and 73 per cent from Oromia prefer business. In SNNP region, half of the respondents prefer business and 22 per cent prefer farming. The same trends were mirrored at the zonal level as shown in Table XLI Annex 1. Figure 31: Occupation Preferences of Respondents When the analysis preferred occupation by gender as shown in Table 23, it was clear that women overwhelmingly preferred business with 81 per cent of them choosing micro-businesses compared to the 60 per cent of their male counterparts who prefer business. The other leading choice for women was formal employment followed by livestock breeding. Male respondents who indicated that they would prefer farming and livestock breeding were 24 per cent in sharp contrast to the female respondents. Table 23: Occupation preferences of respondents by Gender Gender Farmer Livestock breeder Business Person Craftsman Labourer/ worker To be employed Go back to school/studying Total Male Per cent 14% 10% 59% 8% 2% 4% 2% Female Per Cent 1% 5% 81% 1% 2% 8% 2% Total / 57

69 As aforementioned focus group discussions with returnees and community members elicited mixed reactions to the consequences of the deportation from KSA. A significant number of respondents stated they no longer plan to migrate but rather intend to work in Ethiopia even if their income is less. However, majority of the respondents said that government financial support and employment creation is the only way to stop them from re-migrating. Respondents explained that they migrated for economic benefits and would only stay in Ethiopia if work opportunities improve. Respondents agree that KSA is still a good option to earn money and change one s life, but stressed the importance of legal avenues of migration. They called for government to lift the temporary ban on legal migration to allow citizens travel to countries of their choice safely. I will still consider migration if it helps me earn income even if it costs me my freedom or if I am to face other hardships one of the returnees explained with others agreeing. Unlike others who plan to pursue options in Ethiopia, a few respondents said migrating and working in KSA is their best option regardless of the challenges. Families of returnees and community members i n turn gave their ideas and suggestions on the matter. Nearly half of respondents suggested that the best way to reintegrate the returnees and prevent remigration is for government to counsel and motivate them to work in Ethiopia, and create more awareness within the society to change negative community perceptions about the returnees. Most respondents agreed that such support is the best way to help returnees to get back on their feet and become role models to the youth. Furthermore, respondents proposed taking legal measures against smugglers and traffickers, blocking the irregular means of migration and facilitating regular avenues through bilateral agreement with KSA in order to ensure that unexpected mass deportations do not happen again. A significant number of respondents also suggested that provision of access to credit, working premises and business skills trainings will allow returnees to set up businesses while creating employment for youth in the community. Some suggested that government should facilitate the provision of land and housing for the returnees along with other immediate needs. They suggested provision of job placement by government to help solve economic problems and prevent potential youth migrants from following the same dangerous routes RESPONSE BY STAKEHOLDERS The mass deportations prompted concerted response from families, community members, government, and international and local non- governmental organizations. To assess response by stakeholders, the results of focus group discussions and interviews with returnees, families and community members, government officials and other stakeholders are analysed below Assistance provided Apart from the emergency post-arrival humanitarian support, stakeholders planned or initiated efforts to assist returnees with rehabilitation and reintegration once they reached their areas of origin. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 58

70 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office However, slightly over 66 per cent of returnee respondents said they had not received any type of support after joining their communities while 33.3 per cent said they received some assistance. As shown in Table 24, respondents from Tigray region accounted for 8.53 per cent of the total number of respondents who had received support from all the regions. This was the lowest among the regions with the highest being Amhara that accounted for per cent of those who received assistance. Only 11 per cent of respondents from SNNP region received any support. Zones in Amhara appear to have received more support than any others as results in Table Annex show. The other regions whose zones appear to have received relatively more support were in Oromia. Very few respondents appear to have received support in Tigray and SNNP zones. Table 24: Number of returnees who received support by region Region of Origin No Per Cent Yes Per Cent Total Per Cent Percent received support Tigray % % % 10.58% Amhara % % % 42.26% Oromia % % % 41.36% SNNP % % % 45.61% Total % % % 33.68% Under the overall leadership of the Federal Government of Ethiopia via the National Anti-human trafficking/smuggling Council relevant region, zone, and woreda level offices worked on the rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees. In addition, international and local non-governmental, community-based, and faith-based organizations showed interest in supplementing GoE s efforts. Ash Figure 30 shows, 81 per cent of returnees cited local governments as the main stakeholders providing support. According to 17 per cent of returnees, international organizations provided some support to them. The results show that two per cent of returnees said community-based organizations provided support towards their reintegration. Due to high demand on government support, the need for supplementary efforts by other stakeholders towards strengthening and diversifying services is obvious. Figure 32: Stakeholders Who Provided Support As further analysis of support provided at regional level shows in Table 25, in all four regions, the primary support came from local government. About 88 per cent of respondents from Oromia regional state received assistance from local government. Similarly, 85 per cent of returnees from SNNP / 59

71 received assistance from local government, 80 per cent from Tigray and 76 per cent from Amhara. In Amhara regional state, nearly a quarter of those assisted received it from international organizations. In Oromia region, 12 per cent received support from international organizations. Table 25: Stakeholders who provided support by region Support From Region Government International organizations Faith-based organizations Community-based organizations Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Grand Total Government Response The emergency post-arrival assistance provided to returnees took about five months. The Government of Ethiopia immediately started planning for the rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees in their areas of origin. The National Anti-trafficking/smuggling Council met with regional states, relevant bureaus, and gave clear directions on the role of various agencies in rehabilitating and reintegrating the returnees. Afterwards, local offices initiated efforts to help returnees socially and economically reintegrate into their communities. Opinions of returnees, government officials, families and community members about assistance provided are summarized below. Based on the focus group discussions and interviews, the strategy adopted by the relevant government offices to coordinate efforts to reduce the impact and ensure successful reintegration of returnees covered three main areas: Creating awareness: returnees and community members received targeted awareness raising initiatives mostly conducted through public mobilization events and bilateral discussions. Communities were urged to receive the returnees and support reintegrates them by working with government and returnees. Returnees received information on how to better harmonize t with the community, expectations and how to work with the relevant offices and the community to regain socio-economic stability. These efforts also aimed to provide moral and psychological support to returnees. Job creation: this included providing returnees with information on government support packages, planning and conducting of technical and vocational trainings targeting returnees and including returnees in the government s job creation support system. Therefore, ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 60

72 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office returnees received access to microcredit support, provision of working premises, organizing them to form cooperatives and associations, business development services, and so on. The strategy prioritized returnees as a whole and the vulnerable groups in particular. Follow-up and maintaining social peace and stability: this involved holding discussions with the community, forming committee in respective Woredas/Kebeles, and actively following up the status of returnees and their interaction with the community and among themselves. The follow up included provision of technical advice and moral and psychological support..based on the interviews and focus group discussions, service gaps exist in job creation, follow up and maintaining social peace and stability. To provide necessary support to thousands of returnees in each area, there is need for significant resources and intake capacity from various government agencies and institutes The summary below shows the extent to which respondents thought agencies managed to accommodate demand for services. Except in Woredas with no TVET institutes, almost all institutes stated they have technical capacity to provide training to returnees. However, budget limitations means accommodating more than the regular annually intake of trainees is impossible. Furthermore, the existing capacity is hardly able to cover food and accommodation for returnee trainees. Some institutes stated there is huge gap between the number of returnee applicants in their areas and the intake capacity calling for alternatives to fill the gap. In areas with no TVET institutes, returnee training requires coordination with regional and the nearest institutes. This means returnees will have to travel to the nearest available institute at their cost. Significant gaps in returnee backgrounds, including educational attainment and level of skills, pose challenges to the institutes. This hinders provision of ordinary courses and limits the number of returnees eligible for training. Thus, respondents suggested first enhancing returnee capacity through multi-layered training before admission. Local government Micro and Small (MSE) development agencies aim to create jobs for the youth. Therefore, they have the responsibility of reintegrating returnees in their areas. In this respect, interviewed representatives of the agencies said they have capacity to raise awareness, organize returnees to form cooperatives, and provide business development services. However, they pointed out preconditions set for accessing microcredit services prevent reintegration of returnees. In addition, financial and human resources constraints in some areas given the number of returnees and local unemployed youth causes concern. In Tigray region, for example, in addition to intake capacity and budget issues, limited attention given to reintegration of returnees in the MSE support system is a problem. Respondents said only urban areas provide access to MSE support packages. Some returnees complained of lack of access to the support after moving to urban areas. This shows rural-urban migration results from deportations as migrants and returnees build houses, rent or move to urban areas for other reasons. / 61

73 Some microfinance institutions confirmed they have finances to provide loans to returnees, but with normal requirements. This means returnees need collateral against for credit. In addition, both urban and rural settlers can access microcredit services. In all four regions, few returnees have accessed microcredit to help with their reintegration plans. Non-governmental organizations and projects supported some returnees. During focus group discussions and interviews, agencies mentioned support packages and opportunities in each area available to returnees. Officials stated agencies have capacity to provide guidance and counselling to returnees on agricultural activities. Land distribution carried out by government is the crucial resource for rural and urban agricultural activities. However, they also indicated insufficient land distribution to meet the huge needs of returnees. Bureaus of Education and schools stated they provide free access to education for any returnee and that they will continue to provide this service. Local agencies, Woreda Administrations and relevant offices provided data on the number of returnees assisted with reintegration support as shown below: Table 26: Returned VS. Reintegrated: Region/Zone Level Data Region Zone Reintegrated(from interviews/ FGDs two woredas) From additional sources (zone level gov t reports) Note Tigray Amhara Oromia Eastern 312 Around 50% Southern % North Wollo 25% 289 South Wollo Jimma East Arsi in MSE (business skills training) SNNP Gurage and Silte The figures indicate the limited results achieved and existing gaps. In addition, inconsistencies in the information from various agencies on number of returnees in the area and number assisted limit comparison, results and ability to evaluate progress in detail. However, the data presented and type of assistance mentioned show response is insufficient and requires further effort. At the local level, some Woredas established committees to oversee reintegration support and the overall conditions of returnees. These committees organized consultative meetings with major stakeholders in their areas. Based on interviews, except in two Woredas, no specialized support packages for the vulnerable groups among returnees exist. However, existing support packages give priority to female applicants. In terms of linkages between reintegration of returnees and existing development initiatives, agencies stated there is returnees involvement in water needs management, modern irrigation, reforestation, and soil and water conservation projects. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 62

74 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Challenges faced in efforts to reintegrate returnees, as stated by respondents (officials), are: From returnees side: strong sense of dependency on external support, not willing to form coop-eratives/associations, being too picky with type of work, strong desire to re-migrate, and so on; From stakeholders side: microfinance institutions do not offer interest free loans, no alternatives to collateral, financial constraints for reintegration support including training, lack of land both at urban and rural areas for working premises, and in some Woredas shortage of funds for microcredit, and so on. Specific viable businesses/activities for returnees mentioned by respondents include, urban agriculture: dairy farm animal rearing/fattening irrigation bee keeping poultry Carpentry and metal work retail shops restaurant, café/coffee houses Cobblestone work tailoring beauty salon construction Through government agencies, returnees access support services in counselling, healthcare and income generating activities. As shown in Table 27, twenty seven per cent accessed counselling and 23 per cent training, mostly technical and vocational, while 12 per cent accessed microcredit, 10 per cent legal support, 9 per cent healthcare and job placement accounting for 40 per cent of total support provided. Wider support in training returnees is in North Wollo, South Wollo and Southern Tigray zones; whereas a relatively larger number accessed healthcare in Jimma zone. Four zones of Tigray and Oromia regions benefitted from distribution of toolkits. Eastern Tigray, Southern Tigray, and North Wollo zones gave a relatively better number of returnees access to microcredit. Returnees from South Wollo and East Arsi had better access to counselling support than any other zone. Table 27: Types of support provided to returnees by Zone Zone Training Health Care Toolkits Provided Microcredit Working premises Food-forwork or similar Job Placement Counselling (post return) Legal Support Eastern Zone Southern Zone North Wollo South Wollo Jimma East Arsi Gurage Silte Grand Total Per Cent 23% 9% 4% 12% 4% 3% 9% 27% 10% Some of the challenges include delay in delivering anticipated reintegration support to returnees affected results. Specifically, respondents pointed lack of communication from relevant local level / 63

75 government agencies. They said except in some towns, limited communication to answer returnee questions on available support got to them. Questions were posed such as, what is required of returnees, what returnees should and should not expect, how returnees are doing, what the government is doing, but went unanswered. Respondents stated government promised support to help them reintegrate. To this end, some initiatives implemented which were insufficient to cater for the vast needs of returnees. Respondents however appreciated support provided by the government to help returnees continue with education. Respondents said availability and demand for microcredit and arable land and working premises do not match. They cited delays in responding to their requests for microcredit and gaps in distribution of land to the youth. In addition, they cited limited credit and interest especially for Muslims as hindrances. Regarding training for some returnees, respondents pointed out the package lacked means to raise capital to help them utilize skills acquired from training Response by the Community/family members Most returnees described as positive the way the community received them. Only 12 per cent of respondents said they faced negative reception from their communities. Out of the 12 per cent, most said they felt discriminated and inferior because they came back without money and dependent. A few of them also mentioned their families and the community isolated them thinking all returnees are mentally unstable because of the abuse they faced in KSA. A female returnee mentioned that her family was embarrassed because she came back pregnant. However, most respondents said they got a very positive reception from their family and community and felt very happy to be back home even though they are no longer earning income. Through civil society structures, the community supports returnees in their social and economic reintegration. However, returnees and community members stated that although families of returnees and community members support returnees morally and physically, efforts so far have been disorganized. Community response is scattered and based on individual s initiatives. Some community-based agencies coordinate efforts to socially reintegrate returnees but require more effort. As results in Table 28 show, when asked in in which way they support returnees, 48 per cent of families of returnees and community members mentioned they provide advice and moral support. Twenty two per cent of community and family members mentioned they assist returnees by providing basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, furniture and other immediate needs. About 20 per cent of respondents said they provide financial support to returnees to cover basic expenses and a few set-up micro-businesses. Majority of respondents said they lack capacity to provide basic assistance to the returnees but make returnees feel welcome by giving moral support and advice. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 64

76 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Table 28: Support provided by families and community members Response Code Total Percentile Providing basic necessities (accommodating, food, water, clothing etc.) 22 7% Financial Support 65 20% Advice and moral support % Haven t provided any support 65 20% Missing 14 4% Grand Total % Response by International and other non-governmental Organizations Government and communities acted as primary stakeholders while International organizations, UN agencies, NGOs and community-based organizations complemented their efforts. These organizations responded to the emergency upon arrival of the returnees. However, as Table 29 shows, only 59 returnees mentioned receiving assistance so far, indicating stakeholders need to raise reintegration efforts. Table 29: Support provided by IOs and other NGOs Zone Training Health Care Toolkits Provided Microcredit Working premises Food-forwork or similar Job Placement None so far Planning To Eastern Zone Southern Zone North Wollo South Wollo Jimma East Arsi Gurage Silte Grand Total Per Cent 13% 4% 7% 6% 3% 2% 5% Some of the challenges Respondents mentioned gaps in the IO/NGOs support provision and nearly all of them said IO/NGOs did not meet expectations in reaching out and supporting the returnees. Respondents mentioned IO/NGOs are not known to work in their localities and they received no support from them. A few of the respondents assisted by IO/NGOs said they received insufficient financial support and no efforts by the organizations to create employment and sustain the support they gave. / 65

77 Respondents included families of returnees and community members on support provided by GoE/ IO/NGO. They were asked to reflect on assistance provided to returnees. Fifty two per cent of respondents said they did not notice assistance provided from the local government or any other stakeholders. Those who noticed the assistance provided said the support came in to forms: economic reintegration assistance (22%) and consultation (20%). According to respondents, economic reintegration assistance provided involved cash and credit access especially to those organized in groups and training and education opportunities to allow returnees develop skills to generate income. According to the one fourth of the respondents, government and NGOs arranged consultation fora that allowed returnees to develop positive mind-sets about their current situation and motivated them to work in their own country. In addition, NGOs and government provided special assistance to returnees who suffered physical and psychological. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 66

78 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office 4.0 CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 CONCLUSION After deportations from KSA and the emergency post-arrival support provided, communities in areas of origin, covering almost all parts of the country, received overwhelming number of returnees who previously contributed to household incomes through remittances. The impact ranged from overstretching household incomes to accommodate returnees to expectations for help to returnees to gain self-sufficiency. Because most returnees lost their belongings during the deportation process, majority of them have no permanent source of income and rely mainly on families and relatives. Returnees feel dissatisfied and distressed both in economic and social aspects. Most returnees believe they are better off in KSA than in their areas of origin. As a way out, some of the desperate returnees have re-migrated through irregular avenues. Factors that initially pushed them to migrate such as lack of access to arable land and working premises, limited livelihoods alternatives, and insufficient access to legal labour migration services including appropriate pre-departure training and information still exist. Returnees are in dire need of socio-economic reintegration interventions to help them support themselves and their families. Most returnees intend to engage in micro-business activities and to achieve this they need support services such as microcredit, business skills training, technical and vocational trainings and provision of working premises. Expectations for support from stakeholders mainly government are very high. So far, concerned government agencies have provided the main reintegration support, although, compared to the number of returnees, the results achieved nine months after return are very low. Gaps in community awareness, returnees stability and mind-set, provision of continuing mental and psychosocial support, capacity of stakeholders to provide socio-economic reintegration support, livelihoods alternatives available to returnees, and migration management practices to reduce the impact of deportation and prevent human trafficking/smuggling and remigration persist. The results of this assessment will give stakeholders a fair estimate of the magnitude of the impact, needs, efforts to date and gaps identified arising from this deportation process. This will, in turn, inform any upcoming interventions geared towards rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees. / 67

79 4.2 RECOMMENDATIONS I) Short-term responses: A) Implementation of economic reintegration and livelihoods support programs: Holistic approach to reintegration given the large number of youth potential migrants in the source communities and to avoid conflicts, reintegration services should be given to returnees and selected members of the community. Community based initiatives that benefit and/or ensure participation of both the receiving community and returnees are good examples. Initiate/expand rural youth employment programs such as lease/distribution of arable land to the youth; and expand linkages with environmental preservation and rehabilitation programs that have managed to engage returnees in some areas. Supplement existing Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) and/or strengthen Business Development Services (BDS) support and microcredit provision with a package that will help returnees kick-start their businesses until they are ready to be included in the ordinary MSE development framework of the country. This will help avoid the requirements for collateral by Microfinance Institutions (MFI) and encourage the use of microfinance services. Design targeted packages to economically empower female returnees especially female headed households. Any assistance provision related decisions should involve returnees, community and other relevant stakeholders. Boost intake of returnees under the job creation and MSE support system (including designing of projects that target boosting the intake capacities and types of training/ services delivered based on needs) Training: provide training in basic business skills, financial literacy, life skills, and other training essential for the success of socio-economic reintegration of returnees. In addition, provide training in rural areas in agriculture related areas link returnees with agricultural extension support systems (as is the case in some areas). B) Provision of mental and psychosocial services to returnees: Create a referral mechanism among local government agencies Initiate projects that build capacities of local health care facilities to expand their reach in continuously delivering mental and psychosocial support services targeting victims of trafficking and gender based violence. C) Initiate quick/targeted awareness raising campaigns (targeting returnees, families, communities, and stakeholders (primarily relevant government offices). The awareness raising activities should address two aspects: protection of traumatized and victimized returnees and overall knowledge and decision making about human trafficking and smuggling followed by medium/ long term campaigns to bring about behavioural change. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 68

80 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office D). II) Work with returnees to protect them against smugglers and traffickers and initiate prosecutions. Medium and long term response A) Design medium and long term livelihoods alternatives projects in areas prone to irregular migration. In addition, the projects should focus on: Targeting the rural parts of the country and focusing on potential migrants; irregular migration prone areas and specific vulnerable groups; Identifying the sources of informal loan facilities within source communities and ways to utilize their resources for job creation purposes. A significant number of returnees indicated informal loans as a means of financing migration. B) Enhancing the labour migration opportunities: Initiate specific efforts to improve opportunities for men. Since most labour migration opportunities from Ethiopia to KSA seek women and focus on domestic work capacities, men use irregular migration avenues. Hence, expanding the scope of legal labour migration opportunities to include men can significantly cut the flow of irregular migration from Ethiopia. Enhance the skills of labour migrants from Ethiopia: put in place a multi-layered skills improvement system for potential labour migrant workers to ease them into the next level of skills without obstacles of strict requirements that push them to irregular avenues. Set up a system to enable continuous assessment of demand in diaspora countries for occupations/sectors other than domestic work and initiate negotiations with the countries to incorporate them in bilateral labour migration agreements. assist and facilitate to bring governments of countries of origin and destination for labour migration focussed bilateral discussions pre-departure trainings should include financial literacy, language skills and divers courses based on thoroughly studied and updated demand for skills in destination countries. In addition, design courses aimed at helping Ethiopian migrant workers acculturate to environments in destination countries. promote introduction of financial services to reduce cost of remittances and enhance savings such as mobile banking, microfinance institutions, banks. This should also target reduction of cost of remittances. C). D). Enhance direct assistance provision and referral mechanism both in-country and crossborder (involving, among others, Embassies, International Organizations, Migration Response Centres (MRC), National Referral Mechanisms (NRM), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Trafficking in Persons/smuggling preventive actions: / 69

81 Capacity building initiatives to support the country s existing structures to manage migration. Training should include local level agencies responsible for managing migration. These trainings should include topics like prevention of human trafficking and smuggling to the management of labour migration and subsequent utilization of the remittances generated. E) Comprehensive awareness raising and behavioural change efforts that should include: The dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking and smuggling;- Prosecution of human traffickers and smugglers; Life skills trainings to enable potential migrants make improved decisions, introducing alternatives to irregular migration avenues; How to treat and support returnees, (particularly women and children); Financial literacy saving habits; working with local savings and credit institutions to save remittances, merging with credit/loan fund and gradually converting to small investments; Technical support adopt best practices, support the process of ratification and adoption of regional and international instruments; Conduct migration profiling and develop migration policy. F). Include migration issues in DRMFSS s emergency response system. Incorporate emergencies c a u s e d by poorly managed migration into DRMFSS s emergency response and management system to prevent or reduce the consequences on migrants, communities, and the government. Prepare for emergencies, sufficiently responds to abrupt needs and challenges, put a recovery mechanism in place; and permanently address factors that drive migration over the medium and long term. This emergency management mechanism should involve participation of governmental and non- governmental bodies and communities. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 70

82 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office ANNEXURES Table I: Summary of Survey Strategy ANNEX 1. ADDITIONAL DATA TABLES Research Description Remark DATA SOURCE - Secondary data - from local officials and KSA returnees database PRIMARY DATA interviews/fgds with returnees, community members, IOs, and local gov t officials RESEARCH APPROACH - Survey method RESEARCH INSTRUMENT - Interview guidelines to returnees, government offices, community members, and IOs FDG GUIDELINES to returnees, government offices, and community members TYPE OF GUIDELINES - Structured TYPE OF QUESTIONS - Close-ended and open-ended questions SAMPLING PLAN Sampling unit - Sample size - Number of returnees, returnees families and community members, and government offices/officials 1150 returnees, 720 families of returnees and community members, and over 112 government officials Sampling tech - Simple random sampling (from the local government s list nique/ procedure as well as IOM s) with special attention to female returnees CONTACT METHOD - Personal DATA PROCESSING i. Tables and charts were prepared to highlight the main characteristics of the respondents. ii. Inferences to be drawn from the data collected Table II: Length of Stay in KSA (months) Length of Stay Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Frequency Per cent % 24-Jul % % % 73 and above % / 71

83 Table III: Cities Respondents were living and working in (KSA) City Male Female Total Cumulative Frequency Cumulative Per Cent Hautat Sudair % Khamis Mushait % madibesh % Bisha % Najran % Duba % Gatgat % Buraydah % Ha il % Liben % Sharurah % Riyadh % Wadi Al-Dawasir % Jeddah % Jubail % Mecca % Sabt Al Alaya % Medina % Al Bahah % Jizan % Dammam % Taif % Hafr Al-Batin % Medina % Mecca % Jeddah % Total Table IV: Respondent s Occupation by Region of Origin Occupation Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Total Labourer Per Cent 38.20% 30.30% 19.70% 11.80% % Domestic work Per Cent 21.20% 48.70% 22.50% 7.50% % Agriculture Per Cent 40.70% 46.60% 11.00% 1.70% % Micro-business Per Cent 16.70% 58.30% 8.30% 16.70% % ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 72

84 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Construction Per Cent 21.30% 34.30% 39.80% 4.60% % Parking Per Cent 54.50% 36.40% 9.10% 0.00% % Employed-Skilled Service Sector % 15 Per Cent 66.70% 0.00% 33.30% % Employed-Unskilled Service Sector Per Cent 29.30% 9.80% 56.10% 4.90% % Employed-Skilled Industry Sector Per Cent % 33.30% 33.30% % Employed-Unskilled Industry Sector Per Cent 0.00% % 0.00% 0.00% % Table V: Returnee-population ratio - probability Region One in every figure below is a returnee from KSA Tigray 152 Amhara 323 Harari 684 Oromia 821 Addis Ababa 945 Dire Dawa 991 Afar 1286 SNNPR 2314 Benishangul Gumuz 3587 Somali Gambela Table VI: Number of times migrated to KSA Number of Times Frequency Percent Valid Per cent Cumulative Per Cent Total / 73

85 Table VII. Reasons for migrating- by region Region Amhara Oromia SNNP Tigray Total Family &friends Pressure Looking for better paying job Limited economic prospects Unemployment Following friends and family Trafficked Food insecurity Following promises by Smugglers % 9% 13% 7% 11% % 36% 43% 26% 30% % 19% 15% 20% 20% % 31% 8% 23% 22% % 3% 5% 6% 5% % 0% 3% 0% 1% % 0% 7% 17% 10% % 0% 7% 17% 10% Table VIII: Source of finance for migration Region Borrowing (informal) Microcredit Selling assets Covered by family/ relatives Own savings Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Grand Total Table IX. How long respondents stayed in KSA Statistics How long respondents stayed in KSA (in months) N Valid 766 Missing 9 Mean Median 24 Std. Deviation Range 204 Minimum 0 Maximum 204 ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 74

86 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Table X: By region - housing conditions of respondents Region With family /relatives With friends My own place Rented a place Total Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Total Table XI: By gender - housing conditions of respondents Gender With family /relatives With friends My own place Rented a place Total Male Female Table XII: Sending of remittances by gender Number of people who depended on respondents remittances Dependants Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Total Missing System Total Table XIII: Sending of remittances by region Sending Remittances? Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Total No Number / 75

87 Percent 21.10% 48.50% 18.10% 12.30% % Percent Within Region 20.90% 32.20% 19.30% 45.50% 26.80% Yes Number Percent 29.30% 37.40% 27.90% 5.40% % Percent Within Region 79.10% 67.80% 80.70% 54.50% 73.20% Total Number Percent 27.10% 40.40% 25.30% 7.20% % Percent Within Region % % % % % Table XIV: Remittances savings by gender Male Female Total No Number Percent 51.00% 49.00% % Percent Within Gender 59.70% 67.90% 63.40% Yes Number Percent 59.60% 40.40% % Percent Within Gender 40.10% 32.10% 36.40% Not Applicable Number Percent % 0.00% % Percent Within Gender 0.30% 0.00% 0.20% Total Number Percent 54.20% 45.80% % Percent Within Gender % % % Table XV: Remittance savings by region Remittances Savings? Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Total No Number Percent 22.00% 37.80% 31.60% 8.60% % Percent Within Region 50.80% 62.50% 71.70% 87.80% 63.40% Yes Number Not Applicable Percent 37.10% 39.60% 21.70% 1.70% % Percent Within Region 49.20% 37.50% 28.30% 9.80% 36.40% Number Percent 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% % % Percent Within Region 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 2.40% 0.20% Total Number Percent 27.50% 38.40% 27.90% 6.20% % Percent Within Region % % % % % ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 76

88 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Table XVI: Summary of Stigma/Stereotyping Related Experiences Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid No Yes Total Missing System Total Table XVII: Summary of stigma/stereotyping related experiences by region Stigma/Stereotyping Related Experiences No Yes Total Tigray % 59 30% 198 Amhara % 69 23% 306 Respondents Areas of Origin - By Oromia % 61 32% 190 Region SNNP 46 84% 9 16% 55 Total % % 749 Table XVIII: Gender composition of respondents and their social stigma/stereotyping related experiences Gender Composition of Respondents Stigma/Stereotyping Related Experiences No Yes Total Male % % 407 Female % 74 22% 342 Total % % 749 Table XIX: Summary of the respondents fear in relation to smugglers and traffickers Fear Smugglers and Traffickers Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent No Yes Total Missing 7.9 Total / 77

89 Table XX: Summary of the respondents who knew/not of returnees with fear related to smugglers and traffickers Knew returnees with fear of smugglers and Traffickers? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent No Yes Total Missing Total Table XXI: Summary of the Respondents who are Indebted /not Indebted Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent No Yes Total Missing Total Table XXII: By region - summary of the respondents who are indebted /not Respondents Region of Origin Did you have debt to repay post return? No Debt Was Indebted No Per Cent Yes Per Cent Total Tigray % % 204 Amhara % % 306 Oromia % % 191 SNNP % % 56 Total % % 757 Table XXIII: Summary of respondents currently earning income Currently earning an Income? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent No % 75.20% 75.20% Yes % 24.80% 100.0% Total % 100.0% Missing % Total % ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 78

90 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Table XXIV: Summary of respondents income status by gender Income Status Male Female Gender Composition of Respondents Total No Income Yes -earning an income No Number Not currently earning income % Not currently earning income 51.7% 48.3% 100.0% % Not currently earning income within Gender Composition 71.7% 79.3% 75.2% Number currently earning income % Currently earning income 61.8% 38.2% 100.0% Yes % Currently earning income within Gender Composition 28.3% 20.7% 24.8% Total Total Total % Total 54.2% 45.8% 100.0% % within Gender Composition of Respondents 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Table XXV: Current Monthly Earnings of Respondents, regional and gender differences Current Monthly Earnings of Respondents Region Monthly Average Gender Monthly Average Income (ETB) Income (ETB) Valid 188 Amhara Female Missing 587 SNNP Male Mean Tigray Median 300 Oromia Std. Deviation Range 5000 Minimum 0 Maximum 5000 Table XXVI: Summary of the source of income of respondents by region Region Earning from employment Self-employment - micro-business From properties such as rent Self-employment - agriculture IG support from gov t or IO/CSOs Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Total / 79

91 Table XXVII: By region - summary of the respondents who have family head status respondents who have family head status Respondents Areas of Origin - By Region Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Total Count % within Family Head Status 21.30% 44.40% 26.60% 7.70% % No % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Region 41.70% 58.30% 56.90% 53.40% 53.10% Family Head Status Count % within Family Head Status 33.70% 36.00% 22.80% 7.60% % Yes % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Region 58.30% 41.70% 43.10% 46.60% 46.90% Total Total % within Family Head Status 27.10% 40.40% 24.80% 7.60% % % within Respondents Areas of Origin - By Region % % % % % Table XXVIII: By region - ability of respondents to cover living costs Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Total Earning Income Able to cover living costs Per Cent 75% 21% 0% 29% 37% Table XXIX: Amount of saving respondents had for reintegration by gender Mean Gender Male Female Median Average 32, , Std. Deviation Sum 5,004, ,661, Range Count Minimum 0 remitted Maximum ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 80

92 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Table XXX: By Gender - Summary of respondents Intention of Remigration Respondents Intentions of Re- Gender Composition of Respondents Total Male Female No intentions to Re-migrate Intending to Re-migrate Total Table XXXI: By region - summary of returnees who already re-migrated/ intending to re-migrate (acc. to respondents) Region Zone Total Tigray Eastern 1755 Southern 1447 Total 3202 Amhara North Wollo 1386 South Wollo 713 Total 2099 Oromia Jimma 243 East Arsi 100 Total 343 SNNP Gurage 28 Silte 75 Total 103 Grand Total 5747 Table XXXII: Summary of the intended channels for re-migration by region Intended Channels: Remigration Respondents Region of Origin Tigray Amhara Oromia SNNP Total Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Regular % % % % % Irregular % % % % % Other % % % % % Total % % % % % / 81

93 Table XXIII: Returnees Need for Psychosocial Support upon arrival Need for psychosocial support Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent No % 60.5% 60.5% Yes % 39.5% 100% Total % 100% Missing % % Table XXXIV: Returnees need for psychosocial support upon arrival by region Region Need for Psychosocial Support no Percent yes Percent total Percent Tigray % % % Amhara % % % Oromia % % % SNNP % % % Total % % % Table XXXV: By region -current returnees need for psychosocial support Do you still require psychosocial support? Region Total Per cent No Yes Tigray % Amhara % Oromia % SNNP % Total % Table XXXVI: By gender - current returnees need for psychosocial support Do you still require psychosocial support? Gender No No Total Number Percent Number Percent Total Percent Male Female Total ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 82

94 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Table XXXVII: By region - type of support requested by respondents Region Business skills training Technical and vocational training Microcredit Working premises provision Technical support (e.g. thru extension workers) Tigray % 17% 29% 15% 2% 10% Amhara % 4% 36% 37% 1% 4% Oromia % 11% 47% 14% 3% 7% SNNP Grand Total 27% 16% 18% 4% 24% 10% % 10% 35% 24% 3% 7% Material support Table xxxviii: Type of Support Requested by Respondents by Zone Zone Business skills train- ing Technical & vocational training Microcredit Working premises provision Technical support (e.g. thru extension workers) Material support Count of Region Eastern Zone Southern Zone North Wollo South Wollo Jimma Silte 23% 22% 31% 14% 2% 8% % 12% 26% 17% 3% 13% % 3% 43% 28% 0% 2% % 7% 35% 66% 2% 8% % 8% 38% 20% 6% 10% % 14% 56% 9% 1% 5% % 29% 10% 0% 0% 14% % 11% 22% 7% 35% 9% 46 Grand Total / 83

95 Table XXXIX: By Gender - Type of Support Requested by Respondents Gender Business skills training Technical & vocational training Microcredit Working premises provision Technical support (e.g. thru extension workers) Material support Total Male % 12% 33% 23% 4% 8% Female % 8% 37% 25% 2% 5% Grand Total Table XL. Occupation preferences of respondents by region Region Farmer Livestock breeder Business Person Craftsman Labourer/Worker To be employed Go back to school/ studying Tigray % 11% 58% 9% 3% 4% 1% Amhara % 7% 78% 2% 1% 5% 1% Oromia % 5% 73% 5% 3% 6% 5% SNNP % 11% 51% 5% 0% 11% 0% Total Table XLI: Occupation Preferences of Respondents by Zone Zone Farmer Livestock breeder Business Person Craftsman Labourer To be employed Go back to school/ studying Total Eastern Zone 7% 12% 59% 15% 2% 5% 0% 123 Southern Zone 20% 9% 58% 3% 4% 4% 2% North Wollo 6% 5% 86% 1% 0% 2% 0% South Wollo 4% 9% 70% 4% 2% 9% 2% Jimma 5% 9% 66% 5% 5% 7% 2% ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 84

96 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office East Arsi 0% 1% 80% 5% 1% 6% 7% Gurage 0% 0% 67% 5% 0% 29% 0% Silte 33% 17% 43% 5% 0% 2% 0% 42 Grand Total Table XLII: Number of returnees who received support by Zone Region and Zone Number of Respondents Provided with Any Type of Support No Yes Total Region Zone Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Tigray Eastern Zone % % % Southern Zone % % % Amhara North Wollo % % % South Wollo % % % Oromia Jimma % % % East Arsi % % % SNNP Gurage % % % Silte % % % Total % % % / 85

97 ANNEX 2. ADDITIONAL FIGURES Figure I: Educational Background of Respondents - By Region Figure II: Marital Status of Respondents ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 86

98 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Figure III:. Sector Respondents were in Before Migrating by Region Figure IV:. Migratory channels used by respondents Male / 87

99 Figure V:. Migration Channels used by respondents: Female Figure VI. How long respondents stayed in KSA by Gender ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 88

100 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office Figure VII: Map of cities where respondents used to live Key: Cities/towns where respondents used to live and work. Figure VIII: Channels used by returnees to remit back home / 89

101 ANNEX 3. INTERVIEW GUIDE ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 90

102 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office / 91

103 ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 92

104 The International Organization for Migration Special Liaison Office / 93

105 ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND NEEDS OF ETHIOPIAN RETURNEES FROM KSA / 94