2019 Edition

Background

After independence from Italian colonial control in 1941 and 10 years of British administrative control, the UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afwerki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been highly autocratic and repressive. His government has created a highly militarized society by pursuing an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service – divided between military and civilian service – of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. A UN peacekeeping operation was established that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) created in April 2003 was tasked "to delimit and demarcate the colonial treaty border based on pertinent colonial treaties (1900, 1902, and 1908) and applicable international law." The EEBC on 30 November 2007 remotely demarcated the border, assigning the town of Badme to Eritrea, despite Ethiopia's maintaining forces there from the time of the 1998-2000 war. Eritrea insisted that the UN terminate its peacekeeping mission on 31 July 2008. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 after the newly elected Ethiopian Prime Minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship in July and September. Following the July 2018 peace agreement with Ethiopia, Eritrean leaders engaged in intensive diplomacy around the Horn of Africa, bolstering regional peace, security, and cooperation, as well as brokering rapprochements between governments and opposition groups. In November 2018, the UN Security Council lifted an arms embargo that had been imposed on Eritrea since 2009, after the UN Somalia-Eritrea Monitoring Group reported they had not found evidence of Eritrean support in recent years for Al-Shabaab.

Area

Land

101,000 sq km

Total

117,600 sq km

Water

16,600 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate

hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

Coastline

2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)

Elevation

Highest Point

Soira 3,018 m

Lowest Point

near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m

Mean Elevation

853 m

Environment Current Issues

deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

Signed But Not Ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

15 00 N, 39 00 E

Geography Note

strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993

Irrigated Land

210 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Djibouti 125 km, Ethiopia 1033 km, Sudan 682 km

Total

1,840 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

75.1% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

6.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

68.3% (2011 est.)

Forest

15.1% (2011 est.)

Other

9.8% (2011 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

Map References

Africa

Maritime Claims

12 nm

Natural Hazards

frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarmsvolcanism: Dubbi (1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life on 12 June 2011

Natural Resources

gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish

Population Distribution

density is highest in the center of the country in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren; smaller settlements exist in the north and south

Terrain

dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains

Age Structure

0 14 Years

39.53% (male 1,186,749 /female 1,173,530)

15 24 Years

19.94% (male 592,365 /female 598,305)

25 54 Years

32.88% (male 965,405 /female 997,771)

55 64 Years

3.7% (male 96,967 /female 123,895)

65 Years And Over

3.95% (male 97,816 /female 137,843) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

29.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

39.4% (2010)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

8.4% (2010)

Current Health Expenditure

3% (2016)

Death Rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Eritrea is a persistently poor country that has made progress in some socioeconomic categories but not in others. Education and human capital formation are national priorities for facilitating economic development and eradicating poverty. To this end, Eritrea has made great strides in improving adult literacy – doubling the literacy rate over the last 20 years – in large part because of its successful adult education programs. The overall literacy rate was estimated to be almost 74% in 2015; more work needs to be done to raise female literacy and school attendance among nomadic and rural communities. Subsistence farming fails to meet the needs of Eritrea’s growing population because of repeated droughts, dwindling arable land, overgrazing, soil erosion, and a shortage of farmers due to conscription and displacement. The government’s emphasis on spending on defense over agriculture and its lack of foreign exchange to import food also contribute to food insecurity.Eritrea has been a leading refugee source country since at least the 1960s, when its 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia began. Since gaining independence in 1993, Eritreans have continued migrating to Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Egypt, or Israel because of a lack of basic human rights or political freedom, educational and job opportunities, or to seek asylum because of militarization. Eritrea’s large diaspora has been a source of vital remittances, funding its war for independence and providing 30% of the country’s GDP annually since it became independent.In the last few years, Eritreans have increasingly been trafficked and held hostage by Bedouins in the Sinai Desert, where they are victims of organ harvesting, rape, extortion, and torture. Some Eritrean trafficking victims are kidnapped after being smuggled to Sudan or Ethiopia, while others are kidnapped from within or around refugee camps or crossing Eritrea’s borders. Eritreans composed approximately 90% of the conservatively estimated 25,000-30,000 victims of Sinai trafficking from 2009-2013, according to a 2013 consultancy firm report.

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

6.8 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

14.8 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

85 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

78.3 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

53.3% of population

Improved Total

57.8% of population

Improved Urban

73.2% of population

Unimproved Rural

46.7% of population

Unimproved Total

42.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

26.8% of population

Ethnic Groups

Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.7% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<500 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

18,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

37.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

51.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

44.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

68.2 years

Male

63 years

Total Population

65.6 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

65.5% (2015)

Male

82.4%

Total Population

73.8%

Major Infectious Diseases

Degree Of Risk

high (2016)

Food Or Waterborne Diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)

Vectorborne Diseases

malaria and dengue fever (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

929,000 ASMARA (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

480 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

20.4 years

Male

19.4 years

Total

19.9 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

21.3 years (2010 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Eritrean

Noun

Eritrean(s)

Net Migration Rate

-13.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

5% (2016)

Population

5,970,646 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.89% (2018 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

7.3% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

15.7% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

44.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

92.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

84.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

55.5% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

5 years (2015)

Male

6 years

Total

5 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

0.99 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.97 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.78 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.71 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.97 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

3.9 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

3.86% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

40.7% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi K'eyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

15 20 N, 38 56 E

Name

Asmara (Asmera)

Time Difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Eritrea

Dual Citizenship Recognized

no

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

20 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the president of Eritrea or by assent of at least one half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires at least an initial three-quarters majority vote by the Assembly and, after one year, final passage by at least four-fifths majority vote by the Assembly (2018)

History

ratified by the Constituent Assembly 23 May 1997 (not fully implemented)

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

State of Eritrea

Conventional Short Form

Eritrea

Etymology

the country name derives from the ancient Greek appellation "Erythra Thalassa" meaning Red Sea, which is the major water body bordering the country

Former

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Local Long Form

Hagere Ertra

Local Short Form

Ertra

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Natalie E. BROWN (since September 2016)

Embassy

179 Ala Street, Asmara

Fax

[291] (1) 127584

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 211, Asmara

Telephone

[291] (1) 120004

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon (since 15 March 2011)

Fax

[1] (202) 319-1304

Telephone

[1] (202) 319-1991

Executive Branch

Cabinet

State Council appointed by the president

Chief Of State

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly

Election Results

ISAIAS Afwerki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afwerki (PFDJ) 95%, other 5%

Elections Appointments

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the only election was held on 8 June 1993, following independence from Ethiopia (next election postponed indefinitely)

Head Of Government

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)

Flag Description

red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle; green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

High Court (consists of 20 judges and organized into civil, commercial, criminal, labor, administrative, and customary sections)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

High Court judges appointed by the president

Subordinate Courts

regional/zonal courts; community courts; special courts; sharia courts (for issues dealing with Muslim marriage, inheritance, and family); military courts

Legal System

mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito) (150 seats; 75 members indirectly elected by the ruling party and 75 directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

Elections

in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to form a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely due to the war with Ethiopia, and as of May 2019, there was no sitting legislative body

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion

Name

"Ertra, Ertra, Ertra" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 24 May (1991)

National Symbol S

camel; national colors: green, red, blue

Political Parties And Leaders

People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afwerki] (the only party recognized by the government)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish

Budget

Expenditures

2.601 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

2.029 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-9.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

NA

Current Account Balance

2016

-$105 million

2017

-$137 million

Debt External

31 December 2016

$875.6 million

31 December 2017

$792.7 million

Economy Overview

Since formal independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced many economic problems, including lack of financial resources and chronic drought. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice. Like the economies of many African nations, a large share of the population - nearly 80% in Eritrea - is engaged in subsistence agriculture, but the sector only produces a small share of the country's total output. Mining accounts for the lion's share of output.The government has strictly controlled the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability; new regulations in 2013 aimed at relaxing currency controls have had little economic effect. Few large private enterprises exist in Eritrea and most operate in conjunction with government partners, including a number of large international mining ventures, which began production in 2013. In late 2015, the Government of Eritrea introduced a new currency, retaining the name nakfa, and restricted the amount of hard currency individuals could withdraw from banks per month. The changeover has resulted in exchange fluctuations and the scarcity of hard currency available in the market.While reliable statistics on Eritrea are difficult to obtain, erratic rainfall and the large percentage of the labor force tied up in military service continue to interfere with agricultural production and economic development. Eritrea's harvests generally cannot meet the food needs of the country without supplemental grain purchases. Copper, potash, and gold production are likely to continue to drive limited economic growth and government revenue over the next few years, but military spending will continue to compete with development and investment plans.

Exchange Rates

2013

15.375

2014

15.375

2015

15.375

2016

15.375

2017

15.38

Currency

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$485.4 million

2017

$624.3 million

Exports Commodities

gold and other minerals, livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small industry manufactures

Exports Partners

China 62%, South Korea 28.3% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

10.9% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

24.3% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

80.9% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-22.5% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

6.4% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0.1% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

11.7% (2017 est.)

Industry

29.6% (2017 est.)

Services

58.7% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$5.813 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$1,500

2016

$1,500

2017

$1,600

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$8.791 billion

2016

$8.953 billion

2017

$9.402 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

2.6%

2016

1.9%

2017

5%

Gross National Saving

2015

6.8% of GDP

2016

6% of GDP

2017

5.5% of GDP

Imports

2016

$1.048 billion

2017

$1.127 billion

Imports Commodities

machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports Partners

UAE 14.5%, China 13.2%, Saudi Arabia 13.2%, Italy 12.9%, Turkey 5.6%, South Africa 4.6% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

5.4% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

9%

2017

9%

Labor Force

2.71 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

80%

Industry

20% (2004 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

50% (2004 est.)

Public Debt

2016

132.8% of GDP

2017

131.2% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$218.4 million

31 December 2017

$236.7 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$2.734 billion

31 December 2017

$3.084 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$5.223 billion

31 December 2017

$5.787 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$2.734 billion

31 December 2017

$3.084 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

34.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

10%

2017

5.8%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

597,100 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

39.3% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

46.7% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

74.6% (2016)

Population Without Electricity

3 million (2017)

Electricity Consumption

353.9 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

99% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

160,700 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

415.9 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

3,897 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

less than 1 (2017 est.)

Total

600

Broadcast Media

government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2019)

Internet Country Code

.er

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

1.2% (July 2016 est.)

Total

69,095

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line subscribership is less than 1 per 100 person and mobile-cellular 9 per 100 (2018)

General Assessment

woefully inadequate service provided by state-owned telecom monopoly; most fixed-line telephones are in Asmara; cell phone use is limited by government control of SIM card issuance; no data service; only about 3% of households having computers with 2% Internet; untapped market ripe for competition; direct phone service between Eritrea and Ethiopia was restored in September 2018; government telco working on roll-out of 3G network (2018)

International

country code - 291 (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

1 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

66,086

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

9 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

506,000

Airports

13 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

2 438 To 3 047 M

2

Over 3 047 M

2

Total

4 (2019)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

5 (2013)

2 438 To 3 047 M

1 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

2 (2013)

Over 3 047 M

1 (2013)

Total

9 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

E3 (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4 (2018)

Total

9

National Air Transport System

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

1 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

1 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Assab, Massawa

Railways

Narrow Gauge

306 km 0.950-m gauge (2018)

Total

306 km (2018)

Roadways

Paved

1,600 km (2000)

Total

16,000 km (2018)

Unpaved

14,400 km (2000)

Military And Security Forces

Eritrean Defense Forces: Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2019)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 18-month conscript service obligation (2019)

Disputes International

Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups; in 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea

Trafficking In Persons

Current Situation

Eritrea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor domestically and, to a lesser extent, sex and labor trafficking abroad; the country’s national service program is often abused, with conscripts detained indefinitely and subjected to forced labor; Eritrean migrants, often fleeing national service, face strict exit control procedures and limited access to passports and visas, making them vulnerable to trafficking; Eritrean secondary school children are required to take part in public works projects during their summer breaks and must attend military and educational camp in their final year to obtain a high school graduation certificate and to gain access to higher education and some jobs; some Eritreans living in or near refugee camps, particularly in Sudan, are kidnapped by criminal groups and held for ransom in the Sinai Peninsula and Libya, where they are subjected to forced labor and abuse

Tier Rating

Tier 3 – Eritrea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government failed to investigate or prosecute any trafficking offenses or to identify or protect any victims; while the government continued to warn citizens of the dangers of human trafficking through awareness-raising events and poster campaigns, authorities lacked an understanding of the crime, conflating trafficking with transnational migration; Eritrea is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2015)