UN human rights council urged to condemn the forced return of Eritrean refugees

Amnesty International urged the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Tuesday to condemn the forced return of Eritrean refugees to their home country during the 58th session of the human rights council that focused on the human rights situation in Eritrea.In its statement, Amnesty International highlighted the dire human rights conditions faced by Eritrean refugees who can not safely return to their home country or live in host nations due to attacks and harassment. The organization called on all member states of the UNHRC to protect these refugees from forced return to Eritrea, arbitrary detention and all forms of abuse as mandated under international law.

The rights group noted that Eritrean refugees experienced various abuses in Ethiopia alongside the forced deportation of hundreds of Eritreans by Ethiopian authorities over the last three months. Additionally, Eritrean nationals have faced human rights violations in Sudan, where their situation was exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, the armed conflict in Sudan not only caused the internal displacement of Sudanese nationals but also displaced Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers to neighbouring countries. The RSF also committed human rights violations against Eritrean women and girls in their controlled areas, including sexual violence, kidnapping and domestic servitude.

Furthermore, Amnesty International condemned the forced return of Eritrean Refugees from Türkiye to Eritrea, where they faced serious risks of torture, arbitrary detention and other forms of human rights violations by national authorities. Article 33 of the 1951 Convention on Refugees Rights forbids the expulsion or return of a refugee to a country where he faces serious threats to his life or freedom, known as the principle of non-refoulement.

Eritrea is an East African country that has been facing a human rights crisis due to the government’s repressive actions, which include restrictions on freedom of expression, forced labor and indefinite conscription. National service is mandatory for both men and women in Eritrea for 18 months. However, authorities extended the enrolment period to years in times of crisis until it eventually became open-ended. This indefinite military service is one of the main reasons that drive Eritreans to leave the country, as options for discharge are limited and family members of those who evade the draft face punishment. The mass mobilization of Eritrean citizens and the harassment of their families intensified in 2022 when Eritrea actively participated in the Tigray war alongside Ethiopian forces against the Tigray’s People Liberation Front.