By Hillal,
ILLEGAL migration is a worldwide phenomenon. It’s causes are multifaceted. Eritrea can’t be expected to be immune from it.
When it’s comes to the Eritrean case, however, there are glaring differences. There is a coalition of the willing consisting of certain intelligence agencies, NGOs, international organizations and the treason mafia facilitating the illegal and criminal enterprise.
In fact, human trafficking is one of the lucrative cash cows for the Eritrean treason mafia and the TPLF thugs in Ethiopia. They are enriching themselves at the cost of the misery and pain of the Eritrean people.
Eritrean refugees are given special privileges denied to the others in the immigration offices of many countries. Eritrean identity/citizenship is the hard currency and Gold standard in the human trafficking criminal underworld.
Sadly, when it comes to Eritrean affairs, it has become fashionable for human traffickers to be labelled as human right advocates and also common to see human traffickers masquerading as padres and men of God. The mushrooming cottage industries of the Estefanos, Kidane, Chirum Inc. and the devil incarnate padre Mussie Zerai are typical examples.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise than to see that most migrants in our region are becoming Eritreans overnight. The evil plan was intended to bleed Eritrea and deplete her of her youth. Today, it seems it had backfired and illegal migration is out of control.
It was also intended to sow discord and havoc among the united Eritrean masses. Failing to achieve their evil agendas, the Eritrean enemies were focused like a laser beam to deceive and encourage Eritrean youth to flee the nation. Their misguided agenda was to create strong anti-Eritrea terror networks abroad.
Just recently, Tesfaye Ghebreab, the Ethiopian ace reporter, author and journalist revealed that Tigrayan authorities in Ethiopia believes that the number of the Tigrayans in the diaspora is too small and wants it increased drastically to counter the influences of the Eritrean and Ethiopian diaspora communities.
Tigrayans are filling their own refugee camps for years. They are claiming to be Eritreans in the hope of getting the special privileges to go abroad. In fact, most of the refugees that claim to be Eritreans are Ethiopians. Manufacturing Eritrean fake IDs is a growth industry in Ethiopia and the Sudan.
Who could forget the testimony of an Ethiopian journalist who migrated to Italy when he said that once we are out of Ethiopia we are all Eritreans. Today, we are in a situation where it is practically impossible to sort out the migrant citizenship.
I was amazed to see a British newspaper article on a story of a body of a dead Eritrean going to his home country Iran for burial. The western press is in the habit of sexing its migrant stories with the name Eritrea somehow conveniently put into them.
After independence the government declared that we have to forgive and forget and start with a clean slate. Every Eritrean has a responsibility and an obligation for all his/her actions. Forgiveness and redemption and second chances are part of the Eritrean culture of tolerance.
We demonstrated this civilized culture of tolerance many times before. Even in the darkest hours of our armed struggle for liberation the POWs were treated in the most humane way possible in that tough environment.
200,000 Ethiopian colonial forces and civil servants were sent home in a dignified and humane manners after their defeat and when Asmara was captured. Our unrealistic desires for peace, good neighborliness and peaceful coexistence become our Achilles Heels after independence.
Most of the recent arrivals have joined the silent Eritrean majority of the diaspora communities and are active participants in all the activities done in defence of Eritrea and it’s people. We don’t want any Eritrean to be left behind.
If history is our witness, those who abuse and misuse Eritrea’s generosity and goodwill are certainly going to live a life full of regret, misery and finally leading to a slow agonizing death. Those who are in a mission to demonize, discredit, defame and vilify Eritrea, its people and leadership are barking at the wrong tree.
Their actions are exercises in futility – too much sound and fury signifying nothing. For us, Eritrea isn’t just geographical boundaries but the sum total of all our hopes and dreams, pride and dignity, trials and tribulations, victories and defeats, successes and failures, ecstasies and agonies and much more.
It’s our collective history and experiences. It defines us who we are as a people. It’s our pride and glory. A sacred land where every square meter of its land has a history to tell written in blood, sweat tears, sacrifice and martyrdom.
