29 detained Pakistanis repatriated from Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: The embassy of Pakistan in Addis Ababa has facilitated the successful repatriation of 29 Pakistani nationals who were detained in Ethiopia earlier this year on immigration violations and unauthorised employment.

The Ethiopian government, in a rare and humanitarian gesture, agreed to waive substantial fines — running into several thousand US dollars per person — paving the way for the detainees’ safe and dignified return to Pakistan.

The Pakistani nationals were taken into custody by Addis Ababa police in March 2025.

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Following the detentions, the embassy of Pakistan launched a sustained diplomatic effort to secure their release and resolve the matter amicably, PTV World reported.

This included high-level engagements by the Ambassador of Pakistan with key Ethiopian officials such as Dr Dema Negwo, Chairperson of the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs; senior representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ethiopian Immigration; and Ms Abibatou Wane-Fall, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ethiopia.

Thanks to these concerted efforts, 17 of the detainees were repatriated from Addis Ababa to Karachi on Friday, July 25 while the remaining 12 returned on July 27, 2025.

The Pakistani embassy has expressed its deep gratitude to the government of Ethiopia for its cooperation, humanitarian approach, and support in ensuring the timely and dignified return of Pakistani citizens.

This episode is being seen as a reflection of the strengthening diplomatic ties and mutual respect between Pakistan and Ethiopia.