Ethiopia

Ethiopia is still a very repressive regime, which persecutes its political opposition and restricts freedom of speech. Victims often do not get a fair trial and face torture and abuse in jail. Re- pressive legislation is used to decimate civic organizations and independent media as well as to prosecute politically active individuals. Especially members of the ethnic group Oromo are affected. The regime uses the society’s fear of revolts by the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) to justify the suppression of Oromo.

Especially the following persons might have chances for refugee status as the most possibly fear persecution and have no possibility to flee inside Ethiopia: prominent members of the opposition and their families and relatives (e.g. members of AEUP, UEDP, CUD), members and sympathizers of the Oromo Liberation Front and their families, persons with connections to influential Oromo organizations (e. g. the NGO MTA or the “Oromo church” Ethiopian En- vangelical Mekane Yesus Church) or who are suspected to have worked for those organiza- tions (e. g. Oromo people, teachers, Oromo students as well as members of ONC), leaders of the Ethiopian Teachers’ Association (ETA), human rights activists, women and girls (FGM, domestic violence, forced marriage), journalists and editors of private media, members of the Anuak in the region Gambella (ethnic conflicts), members of the ONLF and fighters of the ONLA as well as people who are suspected to have worked for those organizations and per- sons in high ranks of the Mengitsu Haile Mariam regime.

Temporary protection might be considered for Ethiopians with Eritrean origin (when the person has no access to public services in Ethiopia or fears to be deported to Eritrea without possibil- ities to settle down), persons with chronic illnesses that cannot be treated in Ethiopia, espe- cially vulnerable persons such as elderly, disabled, children and traumatized, adolescents who have been living abroad for a long time and do not have a social network in Ethiopia, single women, widows and single mothers as well as big families.

Forced returns to Ethiopia have not been possible until now. In the beginning of 2018 a return agreement was concluded between the EU and Ethiopia and Switzerland collaborated there. It is not clear yet what the consequences of this agreement will be in practice.

For further information, please see also the extensive report on the latest jurisprudence on Ethiopia on Drive → Know How → Country Information → Ethiopia.

Practical advice:

Ask the client if she or he has been politically active or suspected to have been by the regime. In both cases, encourage him/her to talk about it in the interview.

In a BVGer decision from July 2017, it is stated that the SEM denied the asylum claim of an applicant of Oromo origin because the SEM claimed that he only became politi- cally active for the Union der Oromo-Studenten in Deutschland (UOSG), the Union der Oromo- Studenten in Switzerland and the “Oromo Community of Switzerland” in Swit- zerland and had not been on the radar of the Ethiopian regime when he was still in the country. Therefore, the SEM states that it is very unlikely that the Ethiopian regime follows the applicant’s actions in Switzerland. The BVGer overturned SEM’s decision in favor of the applicant. Thus, it is important to highlight why the applicant is on the radar of the Ethiopian secret police. To state that the regime observes exile political activities does not suffice. Articles and websites can help to build the case.