Ethiopia bans travel of women domestic workers to Lebanon and the rest of the world

The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just announced a ban on the travel of Ethiopian domestic workers comparing this mass migration to human trafficking, in what is the second of such bans.  The spokesperson of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dina Mufti, noted that this type of migration is facilitated by traders involved in human trafficking and is distorting the image of Ethiopia.  The Minister did not specify the period of the ban but promised that all illegal agencies will be closed, noting that these agencies deceive Ethiopian workers and organizes their travel illegally and under harsh working conditions.  He declared that this is affecting young women and men and is leading to serious economic and social problems in the country.
To be noted that the Ethiopian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs estimated that 200000 women left the country in 2012 to seek work opportunities mostly in the Middle East, whilst the ILO declared that most women were victims of physical abuse and racism in addition to working in difficult conditions with low pay.
Source: L’Orient Le Jour