Eritrea is one of the most repressive countries on earth. It is widely referred to as “the North Korea of Africa ” – due to its hermetic isolation, and its government’s enslavement, torture and murder of its own people, even as they suffer from malnourishment and economic destitution.
For much of the last two decades, thousands of Eritreans have fled their country every month in search of refuge and asylum. As of 2024, the United Nations counted almost 700,000 who had fled; the actual number may be much higher.
But often, as they have fled, their problems have only begun. They have faced torture, extortion and enslavement at the hands of traffickers, pursuit by Eritrean agents who wish to capture or kill or them, disdain and imprisonment within countries of refuge, and drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. They have often found themselves fleeing again, from country to country, with no sanctuary assured.
The story of Eritrea and its refugees and asylum seekers must be told. Through this site we invite you to meet them, to learn of their journeys, and to assist in their quest for security and freedom.
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