BLACK mobile logo

california

community

Ethiopian Migrants Face Kidnappings and Death, Leaving Behind Heartbroken Families

August 25, 2025

The article details the perilous journeys of Ethiopian migrants attempting to reach Saudi Arabia through Yemen, highlighting the recent tragedy of a capsized boat that killed approximately 140 people, including 19-year-old Nigus Yosef. It chronicles the devastating impact on families left behind, including parents grieving lost children and others forced to pay ransoms to kidnappers after their loved ones are captured in Yemen. Despite government warnings against illegal migration, Ethiopian youth continue to flee due to high unemployment and regional instability following the Tigray war, with migration scholar Girmachew Adugna noting that legal migration pathways remain inaccessible to most young people, driving them toward dangerous irregular routes.

Who is affected

  • Ethiopian migrants, particularly youth from the Tigray region
  • Families of migrants who have died, gone missing, or been kidnapped
  • Specifically mentioned victims: Nigus Yosef (19), Eden Shumiye (13), and the unnamed daughter of Senait Tadesse
  • The 132 people missing from the recently capsized boat
  • More than 1.1 million Ethiopians classified as migrants living abroad in 2024

What action is being taken

  • The Ethiopian government is issuing warnings to citizens not to take illegal migration routes and to avoid traffickers
  • Families are selling belongings to pay ransoms demanded by kidnappers in Yemen
  • Some families are reporting kidnappings to police
  • Human traffickers are actively recruiting young people, even in remote areas and rural villages
  • The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) is tracking migration statistics and documenting deaths

Why it matters

  • The number of migrants arriving in Yemen has tripled from 27,000 in 2021 to 90,000 in 2023
  • At least 1,860 people have died or disappeared along the migration route, including 480 who drowned
  • Ethiopian migrants face extreme dangers including overcrowded boats, human trafficking, and kidnapping
  • Youth unemployment and regional instability following the Tigray war (which ended in 2022) are driving young people to migrate despite the risks
  • Legal migration channels are described as slow, time-consuming, and largely inaccessible to most young Ethiopians

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint