The Gloomy Affairs of Ethiopian Migrants and the Social Media Pseudo Sympathizers

Scholars have said a lot about migration. Especially the now growing migration from developing to developed countries is always the source of heightened debate, some arguing for while others against. But today the point I would like to raise is not about the pros and cons of migration rather it is about the real suffering that Ethiopian migrants are facing in the Arab world and the reactions that followed.

It’s not new and never the first for Ethiopian to suffer at the receiving country, but this month of November seems to be painted a bleak picture for Ethiopian migrants who are suffering from the evil behavior of their host country, though this is not where their torment begins. Their misery starts here at home, where they find it difficult to earn their living, let alone to support their ailing parents who are always dependent on the success of their children, where their childhood dream always keeps on detaching itself from them, and above all, where the life at home seems unchallengeable-it starts then. But this is not the challenge which is endemic to Ethiopia; it is the fate of every developing country living in this world of inequality accompanied by a shrinking of the world into the village making migration an easy solution to the difficulties at home. So it won’t be unfair to conjure up the domestic nature of the problem as a ‘must pass phase’ for any developing country of which addressing the economic, social and political situation at home is the only remedy. Therefore, neither their suffering at home nor their diamond like shining expectation of the outside world seems staggering.

Whatever the case and whatever the cause, too many Ethiopians are costing their dear life just for the sake of adding something valuable to it. The extent of their suffering rises overwhelmingly when their compass unfortunately points to the very inhumane countries, to the world where the imported human value is shockingly cheap- it is Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi government for the reason still secret to me announced the illegal migrants in their country to be legal residents or to leave their country with a deadline attached to it. As the owner of the large number of migrants it is not ironic that the Ethiopian Foreign Minister Dr. Tedros Adhanom made an applausive diplomatic move to extend the grace period and within that extended period large numbers of lucky Ethiopians get the chance to be legal residents while the wretched ones remain illegal. Since nothing is eternal in the world we are living in, the extended amnesty period came to an end in the unfortunate month of November. Yes the government of Saudi didn’t repeat its failure of implementing human right charters when it comes to torturing the so called illegal migrants under the cover of the end of the grace period. It never hesitates to chase, torture, detain and kill them. They start to hunt those whom they thought are illegally in to their country among those are Ethiopians in a large number. I was so surprised to hear the Saudis took a hard measure against Ethiopians bypassing the word of their prophet and forgetting Ethiopia’s priceless deeds in the time of their difficulties.

This November proved us their cruelty when the sufferings of Ethiopian become a public secret. Frankly speaking, it is not the first for Ethiopian migrants to be ill with the mistreatments of their host country, but to my knowledge it is the first of its type. No time in history did they die in the streets beheaded, I recall no circumstances when Ethiopians are chased in masse officially-the first of its type!

Yes the Saudi’s might claim the right to make their country free of illegal migrants for whatever reason they have at hand, but the way they carried it out was by no means acceptable for anyone who is able of thinking humanly. Had we living in a fair world, the Saudi’s would have been condemned internationally.

The social media reactions

The oneness of Ethiopians

The social media served Ethiopians to condemn the inhuman action of the irresponsible government throughout those days of misery. From the high profile government officials to ordinary citizens have used this tech to convey their message. Of course, it has proved me and everyone one big fact which can be a source of pride for every Ethiopian. This source of pride is the oneness of Ethiopians, their ‘you are not alone voice’, their determination to stop such an evil act against their fellow brothers and sisters and overall their pressure against the Saudi government through the hash tag someone tell Saudi Arabia (#someonetellsaudiarabia) which is able to capture the attention of the targeted group (BUT SADLY FAILED TO MAKE A HEADLINE) is rather exceptional. Their oneness was seen not only in social Medias they has been displaying a true sympathy for their fellow Ethiopians through demonstration both at home and abroad, but the social media anger was seen boldly.  All of that happened not in a labeled field there was and still is some off topic agendas inside.

‘The twisted path’

Of course the facebook/twitter anti Saudi rhetoric was not trivial at all it has done a lot in pressurizing both the international community (at least they are much aware of what is going on) and the Ethiopian government. But behind this mob sympathy there exists something visible enough for those who want to see. It took no time for the self proclaimed change seekers of the country to make their own political gain out of the sufferings of their fellow. It is a move which is for sure not driven by unawareness, but intentional twist. At this time they know that the incumbent government is doing what it can and what it has to do and never do what they expect to be done (though they can rightly claim its delay), they are expecting the government to violate international norms by retaliating the wrong doers. They used this humble chance to pretend as if they care for the citizens while the government does not. They seek to win the hearts and minds of the citizen (the possible voter) by finger pointing. And for that matter they have even gone to the extent of blaming the incumbent of working with the Saudi government to do all the evil. And the irony is that those claimers are not ordinary citizens but our to be incumbents, the opposition parties who thought being an opposition as opposing everything done by their contenders and some diasporas who thought themselves as a key for their countries development, as for them in their absence this country will remain locked in misery so in their absence they don’t congratulate the country’s graduation from the yoke of poverty. They are urging the incumbent to expel Saudi diplomats and investors from their country (something like retaliation) when they are well aware of the devastating consequences that will follow, they are never forgetful of Gandhi’s an eye for an eye……they are always ready to make a political gain out of any misery so it’s not ironic that they are calling for such things to persist.