Programme addressing unsafe irregular migration through and from Ethiopia.

Descriptions

The UK Department for International Development (DFID) announces the potential procurement of a Programme designed to reduce the number of mixed migrants undertaking unsafe irregular migration through and from Ethiopia. Forced migration into Ethiopia has doubled in the last four years, making Ethiopia the top refugee-hosting country in Africa with 750,000 refugees. In 2016 refugee numbers in Ethiopia continue to rise. Ethiopia has an ‘open door’ policy towards refugees, but also maintains some reservations to the 1951 Refugee Convention and operates an ‘encampment’ policy which means few refugees have the right to free movement or to engage in formal employment. Most refugees face long-term displacement with few prospects of a productive life. Significant numbers of young refugees, especially Eritreans and Somalis, therefore engage in irregular secondary migration, often with Europe as the preferred destination. At the same time, many Ethiopians have seen international labour migration as a potential route out of poverty, with Gulf states being the main receiving countries. Whilst irregular migration has long been a feature of this migration dynamic, the banning of all economic migration to the Gulf in 2013 by the Ethiopian government forced many more Ethiopians to use irregular means of seeking overseas employment. Irregular migration means placing yourself in the hands of people smugglers and exposing yourself to grave and well-documented risks including physical and sexual abuse, illegal detention, extortion, being ‘sold’ to traffickers and death through drowning, violence or neglect. With a focus on protection, the procured programme will be developed in a ‘bottom-up’ way. A six-month Inception phase will allow for formative research into the knowledge, experience and attitudes of migrants, would-be migrants and migrant-sending communities. This will support the development of a robust theory of change and detailed programme design based on empirical data. Following this stage will be a three-year Implementation phase with activities and outputs aimed at discouraging irregular migration, providing viable alternatives and protecting the victims of migration. The implementation will be accompanied by operational research which will be an integral part of the programme, designed to test the effectiveness of the programme, to learn lessons in real time, inform appropriate adjustments and contribute to the wider understanding of irregular migration dynamics.