Potential Migrants: the Overlap between Migration and Human Rights in Ethiopia

Abstract

The multilayered causes and trends of migration in Ethiopia vary from time to time. Despite the awareness on human rights violations faced in destination countries, and the challenges related to irregular migration; migration remains an ongoing phenomenon in Ethiopia. There is a movement of people from rural to urban, urban to rural and to international. The social, economic, political, situations of the country, and the desire for better opportunities contributes to the migration of people from and within Ethiopia.
The migration trend in Ethiopia especially to the Middle East, and people’s decision to leave their places of origin despite the human rights violations perpetuated in the process of migration is explained through the economic opportunity rational choice model. The paper highlights the overlap between migration and human rights violations faced by migrants. Hence, argue migration from Ethiopia takes place at the cost of violation of individual human rights. The paper discusses the connection between development and migration and deconstruct the human rights violations at the various stages of the migration process. The paper argues the process and journey towards migration makes migrants susceptible to various human rights violations. It attempts to show the overlap using primary data from a research conducted in 2013 and 2017 that focuses on the consequence of irregular migration and the human rights violations faced by migrants. Secondary data resources are used to explain existing gaps and
challenges in addressing the human rights violations in Ethiopia. Stories from thirteen migrants is used to explain the challenges and human rights violations. Migrants have to overcome the challenges faced at the different stages of the migration process. One is the violation of rights perpetuated by different actors such as brokers, traffickers, and smugglers which victimizes migrants on the move. The second is the failure of government institutions and structures to curb the impact of human trafficking and irregular migration, and the reliance on private agencies in processing overseas employment to potential migrants. In addition, the paper analyzes laws; such as the “Ethiopia’s Overseas Employment Exchange 923/2016, which replaced the former Employment Exchange Proclamation 632/2009 to curb the problem of irregular migration. The article asserts the need for strict implementation of the law in place to overcome the human rights violations against the migrant. The first section of the paper discusses causes of migration in the context of the link between migration and development. The second and following sections discuss and analyze connection between migration and human rights.