[1] Women from all parts of Ethiopia are subjected to involuntary domestic servitude throughout the Middle East and in Sudan, and many transit through Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen as they migrate to labor destinations.
Ethiopian women in the Middle East face severe abuses, including physical and sexual assault, denial of salary, sleep deprivation, confinement, incarceration, and murder.
[1] Small numbers of low-skilled Ethiopian men migrate to Saudi Arabia, Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and other African nations, where they are subjected to forced labor.
It was reported that both government-supported forces and insurgent groups in the Degehabur and Fiq Zones unlawfully recruited children, though these allegations could not be conclusively verified.
[5] An independent report in 2023 noted that the Horn of Africa (especially Djibouti) is a major transit point for Ethiopians being trafficked to Saudi Arabia, with an average of 12,000 people travelling through the country each month.
Instead, Articles 598 (Unlawful Sending of Ethiopians to Work Abroad) and 571 (Endangering the Life of Another) are more often used to prosecute cases of transnational labor trafficking.
Between March and October 2009, the bench heard fifteen cases related to transnational labor trafficking, resulting in five convictions, nine acquittals, and one withdrawal due to missing witnesses.
[1] Thirty-one cases remained pending before the High Court at the end of the reporting period, including one involving alleged internal trafficking.
The court successfully concluded the other eight cases, securing eight convictions under Articles 598 and 571 and ordering punishments ranging from five to twelve years' imprisonment, with no suspended sentences.
[1] The Addis Ababa City Administration's Social and Civil Affairs Department reunified 26 trafficked children with their families in the regions and placed five in foster care.
Trafficked women returning to Ethiopia relied heavily on the few NGOs working with adult victims and psychological services provided by the government's Emmanuel Mental Health Hospital.
In November 2009, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) convened the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking for the first time in more than two years.