More than 800,000 Ethiopians are estimated to have left Ethiopia in the past five years, often moving irregularly, in search of economic opportunities, fleeing conflict and violence and linked to extreme drought conditions. On March 30th 2022, the Governments of Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement to repatriate more than 100,000 Ethiopians in an irregular situation in the Gulf country. Also, in July 2022, the Ethiopian Government committed to return Ethiopians who were living in ‘dire situations’ abroad through organized repatriations.

This snapshot examines the reintegration experiences of Ethiopian returnees and their future movement aspirations. This snapshot draws on 504 4Mi Returns surveys conducted in January 2023 with Ethiopians who had returned to Ethiopia between 6 months and 2 years from the date of interview.