VZCZCXRO6754
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDS #2770 3280758
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240758Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6915
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 1789

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 002770 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR PRM, AF/E:JWiegert, G/TIP, CA/VO, CA/FPP, CA/CID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFRD CVIS KTIP PHUM PGOV SMIG ELAB KWMN PREL EAID
DJ, SU, ET 
SUBJECT: INCREASE IN TCN IMMIGRANT VISAS CAUSES CONCERN IN ADDIS 
ABABA 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  The Consular section in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has 
noted a substantial increase in the number of third country national 
immigrant visa cases.  From FY08 to FY09, post recorded a 13 percent 
increase in the total number of immigrant visa cases scheduled. 
Over the same period, post has seen a 72 percent increase in the 
number of Eritrean immigrant visa cases scheduled and a 26 percent 
increase in Somali cases scheduled.   Post is concerned about the 
increasing number of third country nationals (TCNs) applying for 
immigrant visas in Ethiopia and proposes a regional conference to 
discuss this growing trend in the Horn of Africa.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Last year, 86 Eritrean nationals applied for immigrant 
visas in Addis Ababa.  For these applicants, the trip is both 
difficult and dangerous.  One F-1 immigrant visa applicant told 
Conoff he began his journey on August 8, 2009 and paid a smuggler 
40,000 Nakfa (around USD 2,600)  to cross the Ethiopian-Eritrean 
border near Rama, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.   After a 10 
hour night walk the applicant said he was met by members of the 
Ethiopian military, who took him to the Endabaguna transit camp.  He 
stayed in the transit camp for three days before moving on to the My 
Ayni refugee camp, and eventually Addis Ababa.   He informed Conoff 
that he traveled without any documentation out of fear that, if 
found by Eritrean authorities, he would be shot and his family 
persecuted. 
 
¶3. (SBU) An Eritrean 2009 diversity visa lottery winner had a 
similar story.  He told Conoff he met his smugglers at the Asmara 
bus station on August 15, 2009 and paid 50,000 Nakfa (around USD 
3,300)for the 12-hour trek across the border.  Nearly two weeks 
later, on August 29, 2009, the DV applicant crossed the border near 
Rama with his smuggler and another person fleeing Eritrea.  Like the 
F1 applicant three weeks before, the DV winner stated he received 
assistance from the Ethiopian military.  In this case, specifically 
from someone called "the captain".  Comment:  The ENDF is likely 
willing to offer such support for ethnic reasons as many members of 
the Ethiopian military are of Tigrayan ethnicity and may have ethnic 
or clan connections with the Eritreans who are fleeing.  Another 
reason might be that the Eritreans have information or intelligence 
they are willing to share with the ENDF in exchange for the 
assistance they receive.  End Comment. 
 
¶4. (SBU) These personal stories highlight the great expense and risk 
that Eritrean applicants endure to gain entry to the United States. 
They also reflect an increasing trend of third country nationals 
applying for immigrant visas at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.  In 
addition to an upswing in Eritrean applicants, post has seen a 26 
percent increase in Somali IV cases, as well as an increase in 
Kenyan and Sudanese cases. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  The rising number of third country nationals 
applying for immigrant visas in Ethiopia presents challenges for the 
consular section in Addis Ababa.    In addition to the difficulties 
any TCN-processing post has with unfamiliar language, customs, and 
documents, many of post's TCN applicants come from neighboring 
countries with no reliable civil documents.  That factor, combined 
with the differences in our neighboring posts' standards for 
verification, further complicates the situation.   Addis has heard 
anecdotally that some posts require DNA for almost all Somali 
nationals, where others may more easily issue Ethiopian DV 
applicants because they do not recognize a false school certificate. 
 In summary, consular officers lack regional policy guidance on 
adjudicating third country nationals from the Horn of Africa. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In response, the Consular Section in Addis Ababa proposes 
hosting a regional conference to discuss regional immigrant visa, 
asylum, and fraud issues.  The purpose of this conference would be 
three-fold: to gain a better understanding of trends in immigrant 
visa cases throughout the Horn of Africa, to discuss regional fraud 
trends, and to develop a regional policy for the adjudication of 
third country national cases.  Ideally, regional participants would 
include Immigrant Visa Chiefs and a senior Foreign Service National 
from Nairobi, Asmara, Khartoum, Sanna, Djibouti, and Kampala.  We 
understand that there may be FPP funding available for this project. 
 Post looks forward to working with counterparts throughout the 
region and in Washington on this important topic.  END COMMENT. 
 
MEECE