Home » News: Israel set to impose travel ban on Ethiopian pilgrims for Easter holiday

News: Israel set to impose travel ban on Ethiopian pilgrims for Easter holiday

by Atqnews
0 comments
Israel

With the on going war in Ethiopia, Israel has imposed travel restrictions on Ethiopian pilgrims travelling to the country for the upcoming Easter holiday for fear that many of the visitors would not return home.

According to African News, travel and tour companies have received a letter from Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority stating that any Ethiopian traveller who wants to visit Israel will need to contact the authority personally and receive permission to enter.

Tourists from other countries do not have to follow this same protocol; tour companies can generally submit a group application for tourists travelling as a group.

READ: News: Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Says Jews Supporting Black Lives Matter Are a Threat to Israel

The authority’s letter noted that the move was out of concern that “these tourists will not head back” due to the ongoing civil war in their country, according to local media reports.

Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority said the policy was necessary because in the past Ethiopian tourists have overstayed. The head of the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association is quoted by the Times of Israel as saying it was “severely discriminatory” as it only applied to Ethiopians.

The Tigray War began in November 2020. A spokesperson for Ethiopia’s foreign ministry says that he was not aware of the decision by Israel.

Ethiopia’s tourism sector has also been hit hard by the fighting, as many of the country’s most-celebrated destinations are unreachable.

One tour operator in Addis Ababa, which works with counterparts in Israel to arrange the pilgrimages, says that the decision was bad news for his business already suffering from the war and pandemic-related restrictions.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

ATQnews.com

ATQnews.com® a member of Travel Media Group is the online platform for African Travel Quarterly (ATQ), the first travel magazine in West Africa which solely focuses on travel and tourism issues. 

ATQNEWS

Latest News

ATQNEWS @2024 – All Right Reserved.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
-
00:00
00:00
Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00