Key mixed migration characteristics
Ethiopia is an important country of origin, transit and destination for people in mixed migration flows in the Horn of Africa region.
Mixed migration movements into Ethiopia predominantly include refugees, trafficked persons, irregular and economic migrants from neighbouring countries particularly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan and Yemen.
Ethiopia hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa. As of March 2016, the refugee and asylum seeker population in Ethiopia was 735,165 with South Sudanese and Somalis being the majority (UNHCR)
Few legal migration options have led to irregular migration with the majority of Ethiopians going to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States via Somalia, Djibouti and Yemen. Significant numbers of Ethiopians also head south towards South Africa, while others head westwards to Europe via Sudan, Libya and the Central Mediterranean route.
Ethiopia is also a major transit hub out of the Horn of Africa. Refugees and migrants from Somalia, Somaliland and Eritrea cross into Ethiopia and move onwards to Sudan and Libya in an attempt to reach Europe.
According to the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report 2015, Ethiopia is a source and to a lesser extent, destination and transit country for men, women and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking.