Border Crackdown in Ethiopia Leads to Over 10,000 Arrests in Nine Months

Minteesinot Niggusie

Authorities in Ethiopia detained 10,530 people over nine months for attempting irregular entry and exit, as border control operations were tightened alongside ongoing institutional reforms. The Immigration and Citizenship Service said the detainees included 4,576 foreign nationals and 5,954 Ethiopians.

All cases have been referred for legal proceedings, the agency said, adding that 17 employees faced administrative action for failing to comply with operational procedures. The figures were disclosed on Tuesday during a briefing on the institution’s nine-month performance review, as reported by The Reporter Newspaper.

Over the same period, the service reported generating 30.9 billion birr in total revenue. Domestic services contributed 27.3 billion birr, while consular services brought in 23,801,975 US dollars.

Director General Salamyat Dawit said the institution has been undergoing a transformation process for two years and five months, including a full overhaul of its passport system. She noted that services previously provided at Black Lion Hospital have been discontinued and shifted to newly established branch offices under a redesigned operational framework.

She also said online passport applications are now closely monitored, with systems configured to flag unusually high submission volumes from a single location and automatically restrict access once thresholds are exceeded.

The service has additionally set up a technical team to coordinate the integration of national identity cards as a primary requirement for passport issuance, as part of broader administrative reforms.

The government is expected to continue its strict measures on border security in the coming months.