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The United States announced on Friday a new immigration benefit, known as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), for Ethiopian citizens in response to the armed conflict in their country.
The U.S. government said it is “committed to providing temporary protection” to Ethiopians who need it in the face of the “extraordinary conditions” that the country is experiencing, Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas, said in a statement.
The program may benefit some 30,000 Ethiopians, according to data from the organization in favor of the rights of the migrants Masa Group.
The TPS lasts 18 months and offers a work permit and immigration status to its beneficiaries. The plan includes only those who arrived in the U.S. before October 20.
Ethiopians unable to return to their country due to “conflict-related violence and humanitarian crisis” will be able to remain legally in the U.S. “until conditions in their country improve,” Mayorkas added.
TPS is a migration benefit that the U.S. grants to people from countries experiencing extreme situations, such as wars, armed conflicts or the consequences of natural disasters.
The U.S. currently grants TPS to nationals of 15 countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ukraine and South Sudan, the latest to be announced this year. Some 400,000 people benefit from these programs.
TPS is valid for a period of 18 months after the DHS announcement and is then renewed at the discretion of the U.S. government.
Ethiopia has been immersed in an internal conflict for nearly two years, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahemd ordered an offensive against rebel forces in the Tigray area in response to an attack on a federal military base, following an escalation of tensions. Since then, thousands of people have died and some two million have been displaced.
