ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has repatriated 164 citizens from Beirut, capital of Lebanon, due to the security situation in the Middle Eastern country, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.
Teyiba Hassen, director-general of the Refugees and Returnees Service, and foreign ministry officials welcomed the returnees Monday at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, according to an Ethiopian foreign ministry statement issued Monday.
The government has been making efforts to repatriate citizens from various countries facing security problems, the statement quoted Hassen as saying on the occasion.
"The Refugees and Returnees Service in collaboration with pertinent bodies will continue repatriating citizens who are living abroad in difficult conditions," she said.
In October 2024, the Ethiopian government repatriated 51 nationals from Lebanon.
"Their return is a testament to the government's commitment to the welfare of its citizens abroad," said the statement.
Data from the International Organization for Migration, a UN agency, suggested that Ethiopians represent one of the largest migrant groups in Lebanon. ■