Dozens of prisons in Saudi Arabia are holding thousands of Ethiopian migrants, with one facility housing as many as 16,000 people, Ethiopia's consul general in Jeddah said. Recent media reports have detailed the alleged conditions African migrants have endured in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom attempts to control its coronavirus outbreak. Despite the conditions, Ethiopia's government previously said it was "thankful" to Saudia Arabia for accepting migrants entering the country. Hundreds of thousands of people from Ethiopia and other Horn of Africa countries have made the dangerous journey through Yemen into Saudi Arabia and other rich Gulf countries seeking employment. On Monday, Saudi Arabia cancelled the agreement, effectively leaving the detained Ethiopians with no route out of the kingdom.

Source: Ethiopian News September 16, 2020 19:18 UTC