Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia: Caught Between Two Crises

Last updated: 5 October 2026

Photo: Ethiopia - Achilli Family | Journeys

More than 100,000 Eritrea refugees Ethiopia had been living in camps in the Tigray region when war broke out in November 2020. These were people who had already fled persecution, military conscription, and human rights abuses in Eritrea. They thought they were safe. Then the Tigray conflict began, and Eritrean soldiers crossed into Ethiopia. The very army they had fled was now attacking the camps where they lived. Hitsats and Shimelba camps were destroyed. Refugees were killed, raped, and forcibly returned to Eritrea. This article examines what happened to Eritrea refugees Ethiopia and what it means for asylum claims today.

Background: Eritreans Fleeing to Ethiopia

Eritreans have been fleeing to Ethiopia for decades. The main reasons are indefinite military conscription (often called "national service"), political repression, religious persecution, and lack of basic freedoms. Ethiopia, as a neighbouring country, has been the first destination for many Eritrean refugees. UNHCR managed four refugee camps in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia: Hitsats, Shimelba, Mai-Aini, and Adi Harush. These camps were close to the Eritrean border.[1]

By 2020, Ethiopia hosted approximately 100,000 registered Eritrean refugees. Most lived in the four Tigray camps. The camps were not perfect. Conditions were difficult, food rations were often reduced, and freedom of movement was limited. However, the camps provided basic safety. Refugees could access education, healthcare, and some livelihood activities. Most importantly, they were protected from the Eritrean government that they had fled.

In addition to the camp population, many Eritrean refugees lived in Addis Ababa and other Ethiopian cities under an "out-of-camp" policy. Some had been in Ethiopia for over a decade. They had built new lives, started families, and established small businesses. For background on the conditions they fled, see the country reports section on Eritrea.

The Tigray War: Impact on Eritrean Refugees (2020-2022)

On November 4, 2020, armed conflict began in Tigray between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Within weeks, Eritrean military forces crossed into Ethiopian territory and became active participants in the conflict. The involvement of Eritrean troops had devastating consequences for Eritrea refugees Ethiopia, particularly those in camps near the border.[2]

Eritrean soldiers specifically targeted the refugee camps. Hitsats camp and Shimelba camp were attacked in late November and December 2020. Both camps were effectively destroyed. Buildings were burned. Food stores were looted. Water systems were damaged beyond repair. Refugees were scattered. Many fled into the surrounding countryside with nothing. Others were unable to escape.

The attacks on the camps were not accidental. Eritrean soldiers knew these camps contained Eritrean refugees, many of whom had fled military service. From the Eritrean government's perspective, these refugees were deserters and traitors. Reports from survivors, humanitarian workers, and investigators describe soldiers going through the camps looking for military-age men. Those found were taken away. Many were never seen again.[3]

Eritrea Refugees Ethiopia: Before and After the Tigray War

Status of Refugee Camps

Documented Abuses Against Eritrea Refugees Ethiopia

The abuses committed against Eritrea refugees Ethiopia during the Tigray war have been documented by multiple international organisations. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, UNHCR, and the UN Human Rights Office have all published reports confirming serious violations of international law.[4]

Forced Return (Refoulement)

The most serious violation was the forced return of refugees to Eritrea. This is called "refoulement" in international law. Refoulement means sending a refugee back to a country where they face persecution. It is prohibited under the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Convention Against Torture, and customary international law. Despite this, Eritrean soldiers took refugees from the camps and transported them back across the border to Eritrea. Survivors reported being loaded onto trucks and driven to Eritrean military camps.[5]

The number of people forcibly returned is difficult to confirm. Some estimates suggest that several thousand refugees were taken back to Eritrea during the conflict. Those returned faced the same punishments they originally fled: imprisonment, forced conscription, and torture. Returning to Eritrea after having fled is itself considered a serious offence by the Eritrean government.

Killings and Sexual Violence

Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers killed refugees during attacks on the camps. Survivors reported seeing bodies in and around the camps. Some refugees were shot while trying to flee. Others were killed during roundups. The exact death toll is unknown because access to the area was restricted for months after the attacks.

Sexual violence was widespread. Women and girls in the camps were raped by soldiers from both the Eritrean and Ethiopian armies. Survivors described gang rape, sexual slavery, and the deliberate use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Medical facilities in Mekelle reported treating hundreds of survivors of sexual violence, including Eritrean refugees.[6]

The situation of Eritrean refugees in Tigray is one of the most alarming protection crises in the world. Refugees who had already fled grave persecution were subjected to killings, sexual violence, and forced return to the country they had escaped.
UNHCR, Statement on Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia (2021)

Current Situation

After the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed in November 2022, the active fighting in Tigray stopped. However, the situation for Eritrea refugees Ethiopia remains very difficult. The two northern camps, Hitsats and Shimelba, are permanently destroyed and will not reopen. The remaining refugees in Mai-Aini and Adi Harush face reduced services, limited food, and ongoing security concerns.[7]

The Ethiopian government has attempted to relocate some Eritrean refugees to new sites in the Afar region and other areas. However, these relocations have been controversial. Some refugees report being moved to locations far from services and with poor conditions. Others have refused to relocate because they do not trust the process. UNHCR has expressed concern about the conditions at the new sites.

Many Eritrean refugees left Ethiopia entirely. Some fled to Sudan, where they faced yet another crisis. The Sudanese civil war, which began in April 2023, created a new emergency. Eritrean refugees who had fled from Ethiopia to Sudan found themselves caught in a third conflict. Camps and settlements in eastern Sudan were affected by the fighting. Some refugees fled again, this time toward Chad, Egypt, or Libya, hoping to reach Europe.[8]

Why There Is No Safe Country in the Region

The situation for Eritrea refugees Ethiopia illustrates a wider problem. The entire Horn of Africa region is unstable. Eritrea itself is one of the most repressive countries in the world. Ethiopia, the traditional first country of asylum, has proven unable to protect Eritrean refugees during the Tigray conflict. Sudan is now engulfed in its own civil war. Somalia remains fragile. Djibouti has a small population and limited capacity to host refugees.

This chain of displacement explains why so many Eritrean refugees undertake dangerous journeys to reach Europe, North America, or other distant countries. They are not moving because they want to. They are moving because each country they reach fails to provide safety. Understanding this chain of displacement is essential for asylum decision-makers. When an Eritrean applicant has passed through several countries, it does not mean they did not need protection. It means they could not find protection anywhere in the region.[9]

Implications for Asylum Claims

The experience of Eritrea refugees Ethiopia raises several important legal issues for asylum claims. First, the principle of non-refoulement was clearly violated. Forced returns to Eritrea during the Tigray war are among the most documented cases of refoulement in recent years. Any Eritrean who was forcibly returned and then managed to flee again has an even stronger asylum claim because they have direct evidence of what happens when they are sent back.

Second, many Eritrean refugees who were in Ethiopia now have sur place claims. This means that their circumstances changed after they left Eritrea. Even if their original claim was based on military conscription, the Tigray war has added new elements: exposure to conflict, sexual violence, loss of documentation, and the trauma of displacement. These are all relevant to their asylum claim.

Third, the secondary movement of Eritrean refugees through multiple countries should not be used against them. Decision-makers should understand that transit through Ethiopia, Sudan, Libya, or other countries does not mean the person was safe there. Country evidence shows that none of these countries provided effective protection for Eritrean refugees. An expert witness can explain the regional context and the reasons for onward movement.[10]

Conclusion

The story of Eritrea refugees Ethiopia is one of the most tragic refugee crises of the 21st century. People who had already suffered enough to flee their own country were then attacked by their own country's army in the place where they sought safety. Camps were destroyed. Refugees were killed, raped, and forcibly returned. Those who survived have been displaced again and again, through Sudan, through Libya, and beyond. No country in the region has been able to provide lasting safety for Eritrean refugees. For asylum decision-makers, this context is essential. Eritrean applicants who have passed through multiple countries are not "economic migrants." They are people who have been failed by every protection system they have encountered. Their claims for international protection remain strong and urgent.