Addis Ababa, October 18, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s history of offering refuge reaches back more than a millennium, to a time when people fleeing persecution crossed the Red Sea in search of safety.
Today, that tradition remains part of the country’s national experience, with more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers finding shelter within its borders. From the historic welcome extended by the Kingdom of Aksum to its present-day role in refugee protection, Ethiopia’s story reflects a longstanding encounter with the human consequences of displacement.
The story begins in the seventh century, when early Muslims facing persecution in Mecca sought refuge across the Red Sea in the Christian Kingdom of Aksum, in what is now Ethiopia. The ruler known as the Negus, or Najashi, received them and refused to surrender them to those demanding their return.
The episode, remembered in Islamic tradition as the First Hijra, has endured as a powerful example of protection offered across religious and cultural boundaries.
The significance of that encounter lies not simply in its age, but in the principle it represents. People escaping persecution were received on the basis of their need for safety, despite the differences between their faith and that of their hosts. Long before the establishment of the modern international refugee protection system, the episode demonstrated the importance of providing sanctuary to people whose lives and freedom are under threat.
That history continues to hold meaning in Ethiopia today. The country’s experience of hosting displaced people extends across generations, shaped by conflicts and instability in the wider Horn of Africa and neighboring regions. People have arrived from countries including South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea, seeking protection from circumstances that made life at home increasingly difficult or dangerous.
The scale of Ethiopia’s present-day responsibility is substantial. According to the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS), Ethiopia hosts more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers from different countries. The figure was cited in the announcement of Ethiopia’s election to chair the 78th Session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a responsibility that places the country in a leading position within the international refugee protection system.
Behind the number are people with individual histories, families and aspirations. Some have fled armed conflict; others have escaped persecution or prolonged insecurity. For many, leaving home means losing access to familiar surroundings, livelihoods and the support of extended families. Reaching safety is a critical first step, but rebuilding a life in a new country can take years.
Refugee protection therefore extends well beyond providing a place to stay. People need access to education and healthcare, opportunities to earn a living and the ability to raise their children in safety. They also need a measure of certainty about their future. For children growing up away from their country of origin, the availability of schooling and stable living conditions can shape their prospects long after the circumstances that forced their families to flee have changed.
These responsibilities also affect the communities that receive refugees. Host communities must continue meeting their own needs for water, health services, education, housing and employment while sharing local resources with newcomers. Where services and infrastructure are already under pressure, the additional demand can be considerable. A sustainable refugee response must therefore consider the welfare of both refugees and the people who welcome them.
Ethiopia’s approach has increasingly emphasized the importance of linking refugee protection with longer-term development. On June 18, 2026, the government launched the Makatet Roadmap, a national framework intended to advance the socioeconomic inclusion of refugees while improving opportunities and services for host communities.
Developed through consultations involving government institutions, development partners, UN agencies, civil society and refugee representatives, the roadmap provides a framework for integrating refugees into national systems and local development plans. It seeks to move beyond fragmented humanitarian assistance toward a coordinated, government-led approach in which refugee-hosting areas can develop as more inclusive communities.
The roadmap also recognizes that refugees and host communities share many of the same needs. Better access to public services, stronger infrastructure and expanded livelihood opportunities can help refugees rebuild their lives while improving conditions for the people living alongside them. Its success, however, will depend on effective implementation, coordination among institutions and sustained financial support.
One practical element of Ethiopia’s inclusion efforts is the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into the national digital identification system, known as Fayda. Under a programme implemented by the National ID Program in collaboration with RRS and UNHCR, eligible registered refugees and asylum seekers can receive Fayda numbers incorporated into their identification cards. According to UNHCR’s guidance, the system can help them access services such as banking, education and healthcare, as well as telecommunications and other essential services.
Reliable identification can make a meaningful difference in everyday life. It helps establish a person’s identity when accessing services and can reduce barriers that prevent displaced people from participating in the economy and public life. The programme is part of a broader effort to include refugees in national systems rather than maintain separate arrangements for every service.
Education is another important part of that effort. Integrating refugees into national education systems can give children greater continuity in their learning and help young people acquire the skills they need for the future. Ethiopia’s refugee-inclusion framework also seeks to improve access to healthcare and other public services, recognizing that protection must extend beyond immediate humanitarian assistance.
For children who have already experienced the disruption of displacement, access to schooling offers more than lessons in a classroom. It provides routine, social connections and a chance to develop skills that may shape their future. Expanding access to education also benefits host communities when investments strengthen the services available in refugee-hosting areas.
Economic participation is equally important. Ethiopia’s legal framework provides pathways for refugees to engage in formal employment and establish businesses, although practical barriers and limited opportunities remain. Expanding access to work permits, business opportunities and livelihoods can help refugees support their families, reduce long-term dependence on assistance and contribute to local economic activity.
These opportunities are not yet equally accessible to everyone. National unemployment, limited resources and other implementation challenges continue to constrain economic integration. This makes investment, partnerships with the private sector and effective implementation of existing policies essential if the promise of self-reliance is to become a reality for more refugees.
Such efforts matter in a world where displacement has become a prolonged reality for millions of people. Humanitarian assistance remains essential, particularly for those who have recently fled conflict or face acute vulnerability. But where displacement continues for years, assistance alone cannot meet every need. Education, livelihoods and access to national systems become increasingly important to helping people regain independence and plan for the future.
Ethiopia’s experience also brings into focus a fundamental question facing the international community: how should responsibility for protecting refugees be shared?
Countries that host large displaced populations cannot be expected to carry the burden without sustained international support. They need predictable financing, practical cooperation and partnerships that extend beyond emergency relief. When resources fall short, the consequences are felt in refugee services, host communities and the institutions responsible for delivering protection.
This was among the central messages delivered by Ambassador Tsegab Kebebew, Ethiopia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, following the country’s election to lead the UNHCR Executive Committee’s 78th session.
Tsegab emphasized that refugee protection is a shared international responsibility, calling for collective action, equitable responsibility-sharing and sustained support for refugees and host communities. He also pointed to Ethiopia’s engagement in the Global Refugee Forum and the Makatet Roadmap as part of its efforts to advance refugee inclusion and self-reliance.
His remarks underscored the connection between national initiatives and international partnerships. A government can establish policies and frameworks, but their success depends in part on whether the resources and cooperation needed for implementation are available. Predictable financing is particularly important where countries are trying to connect humanitarian protection with longer-term development.
Ethiopia’s election to chair the Executive Committee also carries an institutional responsibility. Tsegab pledged to promote inclusive deliberations, constructive engagement between member states and UNHCR, and dialogue aimed at building consensus. He stressed that reforms and efforts to improve efficiency must strengthen, rather than weaken, the agency’s capacity to provide protection and assistance.
The chairmanship offers Ethiopia an opportunity to bring the experience of a major refugee-hosting country into international discussions. It also places responsibility on the country to help facilitate constructive engagement among committee members at a time when humanitarian needs and available resources remain a pressing concern.
For Ethiopia, the historical connection is significant. The account of the Aksumite ruler who protected early Muslims remains a powerful reminder that offering refuge has a long place in the country’s recorded past. Yet the modern task is much more complex, involving legal obligations, public services, development planning and international cooperation on a substantial scale.
The presence of more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers today gives that responsibility a concrete human dimension. Each person represents a life disrupted by circumstances beyond their control, but also the possibility of rebuilding when safety and opportunity are available. Their needs cannot be met by historical reputation alone; they require practical protection and sustained support.
Ethiopia’s experience ultimately points to two responsibilities that must advance together: providing safety to people forced to flee and ensuring that the countries and communities hosting them receive the support needed to sustain that protection. The lesson associated with Aksum remains relevant, but its modern expression depends on action.
As Ethiopia prepares to lead the UNHCR Executive Committee’s 78th session, its longstanding experience of offering refuge meets a contemporary responsibility to help strengthen the international system that protects displaced people. The task is not only to preserve a tradition, but to translate its underlying principle into effective cooperation, meaningful inclusion and a fairer sharing of responsibility.