ASSESSMENT ON THE LIFE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF DEPORTED WOMEN AND GIRLS IN DESSIE TOWN

Abstract

The legal and illegal ways of migration of women and girls from Ethiopia to Arab countries are not a recent phenomenon. As a result the illegal migrants might face deportation by the government of destination countries. This study was done for the purpose of understanding the opportunities and challenges of deported women and girls in Dessie town who came mainly from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The participants of this research were 35 deported women and girls from the KSA through FGDs and in-depth interviews. Finding of this research indicate that financial problems, peer, family and broker influences, eagerness to get a lot of money and awareness problem are the main reasons of deported returnees to choose illegal way of migration. The finding also points out that the deported women faced those challenges during their journey to the KSA like rape and sexual abuses are the main one. In addition, the research also points out that poor working and living conditions, lack of access to health services, restricted freedom of movement, sexual, emotional and physical abuses, denial of salary, withholding salary, low payment, over work, isolation refusal to contact family, not giving enough food or denial of access food and no day off or no leisure time were the problems they faced in the destination country. The deported women and girls faced challenges and opportunities after they came to their country. The finding implies that government, NGOs, Dessie Town Anti-trafficking council, communities and religious institutions should be involved in assisting and rehabilitating deported returnees. They can play a vital role by offering loans and working place. In addition, in this research the reasons of choosing illegal way of migration, challenges they faced in their journey and the challenges they faced in the destination countries, challenges of deported returnees after they came should be well investigated. The negative impact of migration especially illegal migration should be included in the Ethiopian educational curriculum and awareness also given for the whole member of society. Furthermore, the study argues that enough efforts are being made, the prevention of illegal way of migration and the rehabilitation of deported returnees pose a significant challenge to Ethiopia, however the government’s response is still inadequate compared to the scale of the