Paper short abstract:

2018s peace process promised a pathway towards regional stability and prosperity. The invasion of the Tigray-region by Eritrean and Ethiopian troops became devastating, also for Eritrean refugees in the country. Beyond international attention people once more try to leave.

Paper long abstract:

In the last 20 years Ethiopia has become a major destination for refugees from neighbouring Eritrea. Life has always been challenging for these refugees, inside and outside Ethiopia’s refugee camps, mostly situated in Northern Tigray province. Few got a chance to be resettled and many set out into irregular migration towards Europe. 2018s peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia promised far-reaching changes and a pathway towards regional stability, cooperation and prosperity. And certainly, the awarding of the Noble Peace price to the Ethiopian Prime Minister was big news in international media and the European Union was full of praise, hoping to strengthen control and diminish irregular migration.

Eritrean refugees, however, experienced increasing uncertainty and threats to personal safety and status. They had reason to mistrust Ethiopia’s reconciliation with the state they fled - and they were right after all. The Tigray-War (2020-2022), in which Eritrea and Ethiopia’s federal government jointly invaded Tigray province, became a devastating catastrophe, brought suffering, famine, destruction and further instability. Refugee camps in the North became inaccessible and totally cut off from international help. Refugees in Tigray were attacked by various forces, while urban refugees in Addis Ababa head to fear persecution and deportation. The relocation of refugee camps did not bring safety or improve people’s existential dilemma. Once more people are on the move, unseen and unwanted.