Such is the scale of Eritrea’s human rights abuses that more than 5,000 people leave the country every month, according to the UN, a trend which has risen sharply in recent months.
Many settle in neighbouring countries, others make it further afield: more than a quarter of the 100,000 migrants who’ve crossed from Libya to Europe this year are Eritreans.
These waves of emigration have resulted in a vibrant, but divided, diaspora living away from home.
As part of an upcoming series on the country recently dubbed “Africa’s North Korea”, we want to hear from members of the Eritrean diaspora about what it’s like being on the outside, looking in.
Share your stories
What does it mean to be Eritrean? How do you stay in touch with your culture and customs when living in a foreign country? Are you an active member of the Eritrean community? Tell us more about your role, whether it’s supporting cyclists, running radio programmes or mobilising online.
We’d also like to know the hardest thing about living away from your homeland and what people, or the media, frequently misunderstand about it. Share your stories with words, photos or video by clicking on the blue “contribute” button on this article and we’ll incorporate some in to our Eritrea series.
Please note that stories submitted will be published on the GuardianWitness site, if you’d prefer to share your experiences with us in private please use the form below.
