قصصنا. اعرفوا المزيد حول عملنا لتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة

By:Mohammed Al-Ashwal | Media and communication unitAyoub Al-Ahmadi | Senior Translation AssistantAden, Yemen When Adam left his quiet farming village in Ethiopia, he carried only one hope — to find work and help his family. Instead, the 27-year-old was pulled into a cycle of violence, extortion, and forced labour that lasted nearly two years. Adam grew up in a small farming community in Ethiopia, surrounded by his family and the land that supported them. Life was modest but stable, and he spent most of his days helping with crops and caring for cattle. When a smuggler approached him with promises of better income abroad, Adam felt pressured to take the risk. He hoped that leaving home would allow him to support the people who depended on him. The idea of earning enough to lift his family out of hardship began to feel like an obligation he could not ignore. Believing he was choosing a path toward a better future, Adam joined a group of young men attempting to cross through Djibouti on their way toward the Arabian Peninsula. But the journey shifted quickly from hope to fear. While resting near the Djibouti border, the group was surrounded by armed forces. They were beaten, detained, and held for nine days in harsh conditions before being forcibly returned to Ethiopia. The experience left Adam shaken, but the pressure to support his family had become overwhelming. Returning home with nothing felt like failure, so despite the trauma, he decided to try again almost immediately.  On his second attempt, he managed to reach Yemen, but the danger intensified. Shortly after arrival, Adam was taken by traffickers and moved into a crowded enclosure filled with other migrants who were equally frightened and uncertain of their fate. The traffickers demanded a ransom of 500,000 Ethiopian Birr for his release—an impossible amount for his family. Back home, the news devastated them. With no other options, they sold their land, their cattle, and every asset they owned to gather the money. “When I heard that my family had to give up everything to save me, I felt a deep pain,” Adam said. “I carried their sacrifice with me every day.” Even after the ransom was paid, Adam’s suffering continued. He was abandoned and left to find his own way through unfamiliar areas. He eventually reached Rada’a, where he found work on local farms. For seven months he laboured intensively, hoping to earn enough money to move forward or return home. But he was repeatedly denied his wages, leaving him trapped in a cycle of exploitation. Every attempt to escape his situation only pushed him deeper into uncertainty. Desperate to continue toward Saudi Arabia, Adam attempted the crossing again, but he was captured by military forces near the border. He endured another round of beatings, followed by three days of detention. After that, he was left in the desert without food or water. Weakened and exhausted, he struggled to survive until he was able to return once more to the Rada’a area. There, he continued working under the same harsh conditions, still unpaid and uncertain of when the nightmare would end.  Nearly two years passed in this cycle of detention, forced labour, and constant fear. Adam survived on minimal food, little rest, and no sense of safety. His only goal became finding a way to return home. When he heard from other migrants about the assistance available at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Migrant Response Point in Aden, he decided to take the risk and seek help. Reaching the centre marked the first moment of security he had experienced since leaving Ethiopia. “It was the first time I felt like someone cared about what happened to me,” he said. “IOM listened to me and helped me find a way out.” Adam has now returned home safely to Ethiopia through the Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme — supported by the Government of Norway. His arrival brought overwhelming relief to his family, who had spent years fearing for his life and carrying the weight of the sacrifices they made for his freedom. Seeing him step through the doorway marked the end of their long uncertainty and the beginning of a new chapter. Being back home has given Adam a sense of peace he thought he would never experience again. He spends his days reconnecting with his family, helping with small tasks around the house, and slowly adjusting to life after years of exploitation and hardship. Although the family lost their land and livestock to save him, they are grateful simply to have him back alive. The emotional healing will take time, but the feeling of being together again has given them strength. Adam is now focused on rebuilding his life and supporting his family in any way he can. He hopes to find stable work and eventually restore some of what was lost. For him, returning home is not just the end of a difficult journey — it is a chance to start again, surrounded by the people who never gave up on him. Adam’s safe return home was made possible through IOM’s VHR programme, with generous support from the Government of Norway.