Ethiopians abandoned in the bushes of Kenya

Ethiopians abandoned in the bushes of Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya – Kenyan authorities are holding at least 24 Ethiopians, who were being illegally transported into the country, but were later abandoned by smugglers in bushland in the eastern part of the East African nation.

According to local media, the 24 Ethiopians were stranded in a bush within Isiolo County and have since been taken to a holding cell pending processing. Every year, hundreds of illegal migrants cross into Kenya from Ethiopia.

They are said to have sought help at a local police station in the Merti area after their suspected smugglers abandoned them on Sunday, the BBC reports. The smugglers were reportedly avoiding roadblocks along the Isiolo-Nairobi highway, which connects the two countries.

The migrants told police they were in transit to South Africa after crossing the Kenya-Ethiopia border. The foreigners are in police custody waiting to be processed for being in the country illegally. Police said they were chasing the smugglers.

Kenya is a common transit route for Ethiopian migrants trying to enter South Africa. Once they arrive in Nairobi, they are held in concentration camps before being transported by ferry to Tanzania, Mozambique and later to the Republic of South Africa.

A few years ago, hundreds of bodies were discovered in Mozambique in the trailer in which they were traveling and the autopsy indicated that they died of asphyxiation. Reports indicated that most of those who died were from Ethiopia and were heading to South Africa.

Cases of human trafficking and illegal immigration are common within the Kenyan border, with most of those involved said to be seeking greener pastures. South Africa, one of Africa’s giant economies, is one of the preferred destinations.

GAROWE ONLINE