At present, Ethiopia has been embroiled in an armed conflict and humanitarian crisis. It has affected Ethiopian nationals due to the resulting violence, and food and water scarcity. For this reason, the United States Department of Homeland Security designated the violence-engulfed nation with an 18-month-long Temporary Protected Status. This is also Ethiopia’s first TPS designation ever.
Reason for Ethiopia’s TPS Designation
For a nation to be assigned the TPS, it must fulfill any one of the three preconditions:
- ongoing armed conflict
- Â environmental disaster
- an extraordinary and temporary condition
Ethiopia qualified on two grounds, i.e. the current violence and extraordinary conditions of food shortage, floods, droughts, and even disease flare-ups. As it stands, it is extremely dangerous for Ethiopians, currently residing or traveling to other countries, to return to their home territory. Such conditions expose returning civilians to targeted attacks and rape.
What this TPS Designation Means for the Ethiopians
After careful consideration, the humanitarian conflict was deemed much too dangerous for the average person. Under the 18-month temporary protected status assignment, Ethiopian nationals who had been residing in the United States since October 20, 2022, will be provided shelter and temporary employment. This will continue until the situation in their home country returns to normal. It must however be noted that TPS is not automatically allocated to a person and must be applied for by every eligible individual. The TPS will come into effect with the Federal Register notification, which will also include instructions on how to apply for the same.
