Eritrean Identity “Most Sought After” Among African Refugees

Glen Ford, Executive Editor of The Black Agenda Report says there are various nationalities among the boatloads of migrants crossing the Mediterranean claiming to be Eritreans. Why? Because, by design, the U.S., UN and EU put a premium on being Eritrean and start automatic designation of Eritrean asylum seekers as political refugees.

A UN report claims the East African nation of Eritrea is responsible for a huge share of the refugees fleeing to the West. The report characterizes Eritrea’s compulsory national service as a form of slave labor.

In an interview on Iran’s Press TV, journalist Thomas C. Mountain, who has lived in and reported from Eritrea since 2006, said the report is “a complete fabrication,” but conceded that national service “is very hard on our kids,” who want “to go out and make some money.”

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The Eritrean refugee numbers are vastly inflated, said Saba Gebregiorgis, an Eritrean living in Britain.

“European countries give preferential treatment to Eritreans” as political refugees, said Gebregiorgis. “This has resulted in the Eritrean identity becoming the most sought after identity among the whole African population, including Ethiopians, Somalis, Sudanese, and even West Africans,” who pretend to be Eritrean for asylum purposes.