Djibouti: Information on whether citizens of Djibouti require passports to travel to Ethiopia and, if so, on when the enabling law was promulgated or the policy enforced
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | DJI20972.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Djibouti: Information on whether citizens of Djibouti require passports to travel to Ethiopia and, if so, on when the enabling law was promulgated or the policy enforced, 1 June 1995, DJI20972.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac2018.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided to the DIRB during a 22 June 1995 telephone interview with an official at the Embassy of Ethiopia in Ottawa.
Citizens of Djibouti have always needed valid passports to travel to Ethiopia, and still do. However, a few months after coming to power in May 1991, the new Ethiopian government, in an effort to improve relations with neighbouring countries, announced that citizens of Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan would no longer be required to hold visas when entering Ethiopia. The official also stated that this decision was extended to Eritrea but does not yet apply to Somalia citizens, due to the current absence of government in Somalia.
According to the attached Voice of Ethiopia Network news broadcast dated 20 September 1991, published by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service,
the Foreign Ministry has issued a statement in line with a decision made by the Ethiopian Transitional Government on not requiring visas for nationals of neighboring countries who enter Ethiopia. ... It notes that from the date of the release of this statement, all nationals of Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia no longer need visas to enter Ethiopia, and it is sufficient to hold only a valid passport to enter Ethiopia by plane or on land. Due to the current difficult situation in Somalia, however, the decision has no validity regarding Somali nationals until stability is created in that country.
For further information on travel requirements for Ethiopia, please refer to the attached excerpt of the June 1995 Travel Information Manual.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Embassy of Ethiopia, Ottawa. 22 June 1995. Telephone interview with official.
Voice of Ethiopia Network [Addis Ababa, in Amharic]. 20 September 1991. "Visas Abolished for Neighboring Visitors." (FBIS-AFR-91-184 23 Sept. 1991, p. 4)
Attachments
Travel Information Manual [Hoofddorp, The Netherlands]. June 1995. pp. 119-20.
Voice of Ethiopia Network [Addis Ababa, in Amharic]. 20 September 1991. "Visas Abolished for Neighboring Visitors." (FBIS-AFR-91-184 23 Sept. 1991, p. 4)
