UK foreign minister says Ethiopia visit to focus on migration

Britain's foreign minister said she would use a visit to Ethiopia on Monday to focus on measures to try to stem rising numbers of migrants from the Horn of Africa seeking to reach ⁠the United Kingdom.



Yvette Cooper said job creation partnerships would dissuade people from leaving ⁠



Ethiopia while stronger law enforcement cooperation was essential to counter smuggler gangs and speed up returns of migrants with no right to stay in Britain.

Successive British ⁠governments have tried to tackle illegal immigration, an issue which has helped to propel populist campaigner Nigel Farage's Reform UK party into a commanding opinion poll lead.



Around 30% of people ⁠crossing the English Channel on small boat over the past two years were nationals from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan.aid.