Ethiopia and the Migrant Crisis Causing Death, Kidnapping, and Religious Persecution
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The ongoing ethnic, military, and political crises within Ethiopia are exacerbating the broader migrant and refugee situation, particularly affecting those attempting to reach Saudi Arabia in search of work and stability.
Many Ethiopians—both economic migrants and refugees—also seek new opportunities in Europe and other regions. However, while some may find greater support and protection from non-religious persecution in Europe, Ethiopian Christians, in particular, often face severe hardship and brutal treatment when passing through or arriving in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. There have been documented instances of Saudi border guards deliberately killing Ethiopian migrants.
Discrimination against Ethiopians in Yemen and Saudi Arabia affects all, regardless of religious background. Yet, it is important to note that Christianity is illegal and actively suppressed in Saudi Arabia, compounding the challenges for Ethiopian Christians.
Christians also face significant persecution in Yemen, where religious freedom is severely limited and conversion from Islam is punishable by law. As a result, while both Christian and Muslim migrants from Ethiopia endure extreme hardships—including violence, discrimination, and exploitation—Christian Ethiopians often face additional layers of danger and persecution due to their faith. This makes their journey particularly perilous, especially in regions like Yemen and Saudi Arabia where religious intolerance and the suppression of Christianity are deeply entrenched.
Moreover, the historical legacy of slavery and the dehumanization of Black Africans continue to cast a long shadow in both countries. Although slavery was officially abolished in Saudi Arabia and Yemen in the 1960s, its legacy endures. In Yemen, this is particularly evident in the continued marginalization of the Al-Muhamashin, descendants of former slaves. Ethiopian migrants also suffer under this legacy, which stems from centuries of Arab-Muslim enslavement of Africans dating back to the 7th century.
AP News reports, “More than 1.1 million Ethiopians were classified as migrants who left their home country and were living abroad in 2024, up from about 200,000 recorded in 2010, according to United Nations figures.”
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported that Saudi Arabian border guards have killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants attempting to cross the border from Yemen into Saudi Arabia. The allegations include the killing of women and children, with survivors describing systematic and brutal violence. These reports highlight a grave human rights crisis and raise serious concerns regarding the treatment of vulnerable migrants along this heavily militarized border.
HRW (in a report 2 years ago) said: “Saudi border guards have used explosive weapons and shot people at close range, including women and children, in a pattern that is widespread and systematic. If committed as part of a Saudi government policy to murder migrants, these killings would be a crime against humanity.”
Nadia Hardman (HRW – lead author of the report) said: “What we documented are essentially mass killings.”
The BBC reports, “Migrants contacted separately by the BBC have spoken of terrifying night-time crossings during which large groups of Ethiopians, including many women and children, came under fire as they attempted to cross the border in search of work in the oil-rich kingdom.”
War and instability persist across Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, and other nations in the region surrounding Saudi Arabia. In Ethiopia, ethnic and political violence—such as the persecution and killings of Amhara communities by the Ethiopian government—continues to drive displacement.
In Yemen, sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shia groups, compounded by regional power struggles, has created a humanitarian catastrophe. Meanwhile, in Somalia, the ongoing insurgency by the Sunni Islamist group al-Shabaab continues to destabilize the country. Together, these crises fuel a relentless cycle of displacement and desperation, with Ethiopians and other migrants facing a nightmarish journey marked by violence, persecution, and uncertainty at every turn.
The nightmare persists in part because the international community remains largely focused on a limited number of high-profile conflicts—most notably the war in Ukraine and the ongoing crisis in Gaza. In contrast, the widespread suffering in regions like the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula receives far less global attention.
Countries such as Saudi Arabia often escape meaningful international condemnation for systemic religious persecution and the mistreatment of migrants. As a result, many Ethiopians fleeing war, ethnic persecution, and instability at home are met not with protection, but with the harsh realities of violence, exploitation, and death in places like Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
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