The study aimed to examine the untold stories of international independent child return migrants in Ambo town, Ethiopia. International independent child migration has become one of the timeliest and high concerns demanding issues in the world in general and at the study area, Ambo town. In this study, a child is aged between 14 and 18. The study employed descriptive qualitative and case study methods with a cross-sectional design, using purposive and snowball sampling to collect data from 15 participants through interviews and observations. The collected data was thematically analyzed. The study discovered child migrants’ economic hardships, including land grabbing with inadequate compensation, dwindling job opportunities, and low wages, as key drivers of child migration. The devaluation of education arose from skepticism about its benefits, as many school youth and even graduates remained unemployed. Consequently, migration was preferred to education as a shortcut to a better life, despite inevitable atrocity. At destinations, child migrants faced health issues such as back pain from longer hours of domestic work. Furthermore, child migrants experienced an actual rape and if not at least an attempt was inescapable. Unemployment, low wages, and lost hope have devalued education, leading children to quit school to emigrate for economic benefits. To address this, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education must improve education quality, while the Ministry of Labor and Skills should create job opportunities to restore faith in education. Policymakers should expedite approval and implementation of the National Migration Policy to protect migrants and promote responsible mobility.
Introduction Undocumented migrants face intersecting disadvantages that may heighten the prevalence of multimorbidity. This study explores the association between socioeconomic factors and multimorbidity among long-term undocumented migrants in Geneva, Switzerland. Methods We used longitudinal data from the Parchemins study across four waves (2017–2021). Multimorbidity was defined by disease count (≥ two) and by affected body systems (≥ three). Secondary outcomes explored domain-specific health diseases (circulatory, endocrine/metabolic, musculoskeletal, mental). Population-average Poisson regressions adjusted for sex, age, region of origin, and wave assessed associations between the outcomes and socioeconomic, material, psychosocial, behavioral, migration, and structural factors. Results The prevalence of multimorbidity in waves 1 to 4 were 50.1%, 55.6%, 54.2% and 54.2% using a disease count (≥ two), and 21.0%, 27.3%, 25.0% and 26.9% when based on affected body systems (≥ three). On average, secondary or higher education, the ability to cover unexpected expenses, employment at destination, and cohabitation with a partner were associated with lower prevalence of multimorbidity. In contrast, loneliness and sleep disorders were associated with a higher prevalence of multimorbidity. Participants working in food preparation were at a lower prevalence of multimorbidity and experienced fewer circulatory and musculoskeletal conditions than those in domestic work. Participants who regularized their residence permit had a lower prevalence of mental conditions than those who did not. Conclusion The prevalence of multimorbidity or of suffering from different conditions that affect the body’s systems are associated with factors present in different dimensions of the social structure, with some having a greater influence than others. Policies relying only on treating diseases will fall short unless they address emotional, social, and material insecurity to reduce health inequities.
Background Migrant families with young children may face barriers to parenting support and early childhood services, including social isolation, language barriers, and difficulties accessing and using health information. This study examined the implementation of a community-based Parenting Support Intervention (PSI) and participants’ experiences of its use in Geneva, Switzerland. Methods A qualitatively driven mixed-methods pilot implementation study enrolled 29 professionals and 8 parents at T1. Following field use, 23 professionals and 4 parents participated in three focus groups at T3. Focus-group and logbook data were analysed using deductive thematic analysis informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Preparatory workshop accounts provided context. Adapted questionnaires assessed acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. Results Participants described the PSI as a useful and accessible resource for discussing parenting and engaging in shared parent-child activities. Parents reported greater confidence in their parenting role, increased engagement in shared play, and practical alternatives to screen use. Accounts also highlighted the value of being listened to and having parental expertise recognised. Professionals identified limited time, competing demands, language barriers, and the need for training and organisational support as constraints on delivery. Conclusion Parents and professionals described the PSI as a useful resource for collaborative discussion and shared parent-child activities. Reported benefits included greater parenting confidence, increased opportunities for shared play, and reduced reliance on screens in everyday family life. These findings suggest that supporting parents in their parenting role may strengthen parental engagement and promote positive parent-child interactions in migrant families. Further research is needed to determine whether these perceived benefits translate into measurable child and family outcomes.
Background Forced displacement is a global concern with economic, social, health and security consequences. Ethiopia hosts one of the largest refugee populations in Africa and has experienced recurrent, large-scale internal displacement. Research on forced displacement in Ethiopia has grown across several disciplines, but it has not been mapped, so the number, type, focus and gaps of these studies are unknown. This scoping review aimed to identify and map studies conducted on internal displacement and refugees in Ethiopia. Methods We followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework and the JBI guidance for scoping reviews, and we report the review according to PRISMA-ScR. We searched Scopus, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, African Index Medicus, the Addis Ababa University repository and Google Scholar from inception to July 2023. The search was updated to October 2026. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts and extracted data using a piloted charting form. Findings were summarised descriptively and narratively by theme. Results The original search yielded 13,322 records, from which 236 studies were included; the update added 52 studies, giving 288 studies in total. Most were peer-reviewed articles (72%), were conducted among refugees (59%) and used cross-sectional (31%) or qualitative (26%) designs. General health (n = 87) and mental health (n = 39) were the most frequently studied themes. Reported prevalences ranged from 22% to 52.4% for anaemia and from 9.7% to 37% for different forms of malnutrition in the original studies, and acute malnutrition reached 45.9% among children of returned IDPs in the update. Diarrhoea affected 38% of refugee children and 52.3% of internally displaced children. Depressive symptoms were reported in over one-third to 44% of participants in the original studies and in 45% to 81% in recent studies of conflict-affected IDPs and refugees; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ranged from 37.3% to 76.9%. Refugee camps were exposed to flooding (95.8%) and associated with deforestation and environmental degradation. Refugees affected host communities socially, economically and environmentally, and displaced households experienced higher poverty and food insecurity than their hosts. Conclusions Research on forced displacement in Ethiopia is extensive but concentrated on physical and mental health, hardships and violence, and relies mainly on cross-sectional and qualitative designs. Intervention, longitudinal and implementation studies are needed, particularly on mental health services, livelihoods, durable solutions and the implementation of refugee and IDP policy. Future research should also address the root causes of displacement, including governance failures and regional political instability.
