Rights activists are calling on the Interior Minister not to act on a High Court decision to deport Ethiopian migrants, saying the security situation in the African country is too volatile.

In November 2021, Israel granted group protection to Ethiopian nationals in light of the bloody civil war between the Ethiopian armed forces and the TPLF (Tigray People’s Liberation Front) from 2020 to 2022.

In January 2024, Israel’s then-interior minister, Moshe Arbel, withdrew protection, following professional advice that the security situation in Ethiopia was sufficiently stable for nationals to return.

In December, the High Court upheld that decision, rejecting an appeal by three organizations — the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, HIAS Israel, and ASSAF – Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel.

Saying they took no position on the rights of the Ethiopians concerned, the three High Court judges gave the migrants four months to prepare to leave.

However, the refugee and migrant organizations charge that Ethiopia is still too volatile. Israel’s Foreign Ministry itself says on its Addis Ababa website that Israelis should avoid non-essential travel to Tigray following the renewal of fighting between the Ethiopian army and the TPLF, which began on January 27.

Conflict is also raging between Ethiopian authorities and Amhara militia groups in the Amhara region, and between security forces and armed groups in the Oromia........

© The Times of Israel