Ethiopian authorities began returning migrants stranded in the oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Friday, flying 842 of them.
This programme's third phase aims to return 70,000 people in four months by operating 12 flights per week.
According to the government, they were in "difficult conditions" because the majority of them were undocumented and had been imprisoned or detained in the country.
However, the risk of them returning to Saudi Arabia is high, as thousands travel every year in search of better living conditions. Ethiopian officials reported earlier this week that 38 Ethiopian migrants, including children, died in a shipwreck off the coast of Djibouti.
It is possible that they were on their way to Saudi Arabia.
According to reports, the kingdom currently hosts approximately 750,000 Ethiopian migrants, more than half of whom are believed to have entered the country illegally.
Original Article - BBC Africa