Ethiopian nationals currently residing in the United States will be eligible to stay in the country for 18 months following the designation of Ethiopia as a Temporary Protected Status nation amid the conflict and a humanitarian crisis there, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2022) Ethiopian nationals currently residing in the United States will be eligible to stay in the country for 18 months following the designation of Ethiopia as a Temporary Protected Status nation amid the conflict and a humanitarian crisis there, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Friday.
"Ethiopian nationals currently residing in the US who cannot safely return due to conflict-related violence and a humanitarian crisis involving severe food shortages, flooding, drought, and displacement, will be able to remain and work in the United States until conditions in their home country improve," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
Only Ethiopians who entered the United States prior to the announcement will be eligible for Temporary Protected Status, the statement said.
The US government designates countries for Temporary Protected Status when armed conflict, environmental disaster or other extraordinary conditions prevent their nationals from safely returning to home, the statement added.
Ethiopia has been engulfed in a violent internal conflict since November 2020, when the government accused the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) of attacking one of its military bases and launched an anti-terrorist operation in the Tigray region. In June 2021, TPLF rebels seized the city of Mekelle and the government declared an unconditional ceasefire.
However, the rebels launched a new offensive soon after and took control of southern parts of Tigray and the neighboring Amhara region. The ongoing conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions of people and caused a dire humanitarian crisis across the country.
