The Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) is the government arm responsible for the implementation of refugee protection and assistance activities in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has a long tradition in receiving and hosting refugees. Ethiopia, being a signatory to all UN and OAU Refugee Conventions and Protocols, has maintained its tradition of open door policy to refugees and asylum-seekers.

Policies concerning refugee and returnee issues are governed by the principles embodied in the 1951 UN Convention and its protocol of 1967 as well as the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. The government of Ethiopia has acceded to all of the above international instruments in November 11, 1969.

The Government of Ethiopia has enacted the National Refugee Legislation in July 2004 based on the principles entailed in 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its Protocol of 1967 as well as on the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee problems in Africa.

The ARRA was established in 1988 when the country started to get flooded with nearly one million refugees from Sudan and Somalia.

The Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) came into being since January 1989 in response to the magnitude of the refugee population and the sensitivity of the protection issue.

The ARRA implements refugee protection and assistance activities in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Program (WFP) and other humanitarian organizations.

The ARRA currently manages twelve refugee camps housing over 133,000 refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya and other various African countries. You are invited to ARRA website for more details on refugee numbers in Ethiopia by camps and countries of origin.

The ARRA currently staffed with about 700 employees operates in 12 refugee camps, 4 sub-offices, 2 field offices and its Headquarters in the capital Addis Ababa.