NAIROBI (Halbeeg News) – The Kenyan government has deported thirty-five Ethiopians who entered the country illegally.
In July, the Ethiopian nationals were charged with being in Kenya illegally.
They were each fined Sh 50,000 ($500) or to serve a month in jail by a court in Wajir county.
The magistrate ordered all of them to be repatriated to Ethiopia after payment of the fine or completion of their jail sentence.
The Ethiopians completed their one-month jail sentence at the Wajir prison, where they were being held since July.
Wajir County Prisons Commander Ali Madey Hassan who spoke to Daily Nation, a newspaper based in Nairobi said the 35 Ethiopians were immediately sent back to Ethiopia.
According to Mr. Hassan, the prisoners included 26 men and nine women and were transported back to Ethiopia using a police lorry.
Congestion in cells
Mr. Hassan said that after consultations with the top county security officials, they facilitated the return of the Ethiopians to their country.
According to Daily Nation, Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHCR) officials who visited the prison early this month revealed several challenges the Ethiopians face including the language barrier, congestion in the cells and lack of standard cell to accommodate the female prisoners.
KNHCR called on the government to devise new ways of dealing with the refugees other than jailing them.
Hundreds of Oromo origin Ethiopian have crossed the border into Kenya recently, fleeing clashes that have been going on for months and displaced thousands of people.
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