Mekelle/Tel Aviv/Nairobi/Pretoria/London
Tigray Exodus Intensifies as Youth Flee Escalating TPLF Repression and War Fears
Horn News Hub | October 30, 2025*
The mass exodus from Ethiopia’s Tigray region is intensifying, with reports indicating that more than 30,000 young people are fleeing the region each month, driven by mounting insecurity, forced conscription, and deteriorating living conditions under the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) administration.
According to regional humanitarian monitors, desperate youth are undertaking perilous journeys through Djibouti and Yemen, seeking refuge and work opportunities in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Many face grave risks, including human trafficking, detention, and death in the harsh desert crossings or at sea.
“The situation in Tigray has become unbearable for many,” said a humanitarian worker based in Mekelle who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Young people are being targeted for recruitment, and anyone resisting faces harassment, imprisonment, or worse. Leaving feels like the only option for survival.”
The TPLF’s renewed military mobilization and rhetoric of “resistance” have reignited fears of another devastating conflict in the north. Local residents say the regional authorities have intensified recruitment campaigns in rural areas, demanding that families contribute at least one able-bodied member to the war effort.
Analysts warn that this steady outflow of Tigray’s youth could have far-reaching demographic and economic consequences. “The region is losing an entire generation,” said an Addis Ababa-based political observer. “What we’re seeing is not just migrationit’s an escape from despair.”
Human rights organizations have repeatedly raised alarm over the growing number of Tigrayan migrants stranded or detained in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Many are victims of extortion, sexual violence, and exploitation along the migration route, often described as one of the world’s most dangerous corridors.
Despite the dire situation, there has been little visible response from either the federal or regional authorities to stem the flow or address the root causes of the crisis. As the TPLF leadership doubles down on its militarized posture, thousands continue to abandon their homes, joining a growing humanitarian tragedy that shows no sign of slowing down.
