Saudi security forces launch campaign to detain Ethiopian migrants in Saudi Arabia, stealing their property and jewelry by attacking their homes.
Ethiopian immigrants have accused Saudi police of stealing their money and jewelry during a two-week security operation, according to Saudi Leaks.
Saudi police have launched a large-scale security campaign to detain Ethiopian immigrants from the streets, homes and cafes, often using violence.
The campaign has resulted in the arrest of thousands of Ethiopians across Saudi-majority neighborhoods.
Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia have announced a campaign to detain immigrants, saying their friends are abducted from the streets by uniformed officers or they wake up in the middle of the night with police raiding their homes.
Police crackdowns on immigrants are not uncommon in Saudi Arabia, and usually target large numbers of undocumented individuals, many of whom are Ethiopians.
A similar crackdown in 2013 led to the arrest and deportation of some 100,000 Ethiopians. But over the past 10 days, a large number of Ethiopians with legal residency were among those detained.
Jilan, originally from Ethiopia but born in Riyadh, says he spent June 12-13 behind bars after being abducted from a café in the Saudi capital.
Two days after the campaign to detain Ethiopians, Ethiopian diplomats announced the release of 600 Ethiopians with valid residence documents who had been arrested in Medina and 94 others detained in the port of Jizan near the Yemeni border.
“Nibio Tidla, Ethiopia’s deputy consul general in Jeddah, said: Many migrants have been detained in large cities as well as in rural areas, and statistical estimates are difficult to obtain. Nevertheless, we will continue to work for their release.
Condition of Ethiopian detainees in Saudi prisons
Diso, an Ethiopian detainee in Jizan prison, used a smuggled telephone to speak and said: In Jizan Prison, there were about 80 or 90 prisoners in each cell. But since last week, the number of detainees per cell has probably doubled.
Three Ethiopian migrants in Jeddah said they witnessed a Saudi police raid on homes before stealing money, telephones, jewelry and other items.
Jeddah, known as the Greater Ethiopian Community, is the worst-hit area, according to detained migrants.
Mohammad, who did not want to be named, said he was walking near the Kilo Temania area when he saw police attacking an apartment in the area.
“Jafar” also said about the night attack of the Saudi security forces in Kilo Temania on June 15: Police cars surrounded the entire building, and police stormed in to close the area. They beat the women and then arrested them and asked passers-by not to take pictures. It was a horrible scene.
“Nadia Hardman, a researcher on refugee rights and immigration rights at Human Rights Watch, said: Reported detention of undocumented immigrants is very worrying.
According to Ethiopian state media, a government delegation traveled to Riyadh from Addis Ababa over the weekend to discuss solutions to the recent crisis.
Despite the warm relations between the two countries, the Ethiopian government seems to be surprised by this campaign to detain immigrants.
Ethiopian immigrants were held in very poor conditions in Saudi prisons. They were kept in very crowded prisons full of chronic diseases. According to these reports, Ethiopian prisoners were not served in Saudi Arabia, and in some cases led to their suicide.