I am a Tigrayan human right advocate living in the UK. Today, I speak not just for myself—but for those silenced by war, starvation, rape, and displacement. I speak for the dead and the disappeared.

The Eritrean Embassy in London: A Criminal Enterprise in Diplomatic Disguise
This is not a normal embassy. The Eritrean Embassy in London functions as the financial and operational arm of a transnational network responsible for war crimes and forced migration.

It collects an illegal “2% diaspora tax” from Eritrean refugees across the UK and Europe using threats, extortion, and blackmail. This tax directly fuels armed groups, state-sponsored violence, and destabilization throughout the Horn of Africa.

Evidence: Diaspora Tax Funding Terror and Genocide
*UN Security Council Resolution 2023 (2011): Condemned Eritrea’s use of the diaspora tax to fund terrorism and proxy militias destabilizing Ethiopia and Somalia.

*Dutch Parliament Report (2017) & BTI Transformation Index (2024): Confirmed that funds are channeled to extremist groups including:

-Fano (Amhara militia)
-OLA (Oneg Shene) – designated as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government
-Ginbot 7 – previously listed as a terrorist group
-ESAT – media used to incite ethnic hatred and political violence
*Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International: Documented the Eritrean Defense Forces' atrocities in Tigray—including massacres, rape, and ethnic cleansing—perpetrated by forces partially funded through diaspora taxation.

*The Guardian (2015, 2022) and UK Parliament: Described the 2% tax as coercive extortion and a threat to national and international security.

*Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Norway: Banned or investigated the diaspora tax due to its use in funding armed conflicts and human rights abuses.

*How the Tax is Enforced
-Threats of denying passports, ID renewals, and burial rights
-Embassy-led surveillance of refugees across the UK
-Intimidation of relatives inside Eritrea to force payment
-Blackmail tied to consular services and documents
*Where the Money Goes
-Financing Eritrean proxy militias
-Arms trafficking and war logistics
-Propaganda and hate speech networks
-Funding operations of EDF and their crimes in Tigray
*Legal Grounds for UK Action
-Terrorism Act 2000 (Sec. 15) – Prohibits funding of violent and terrorist groups
-Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) – Seize assets linked to war crimes
-Rome Statute, Article 25 – Outlaws complicity in genocide via financial support
-Vienna Convention (Article 41) – Embassies cannot engage in illegal financing
-Refugee Convention (Article 1F) – Allows removal of refugee status from perpetrators and collaborators
 

*Demands to the UK Government
1. Officially ban the 2% Eritrean diaspora tax.
2. Investigate and freeze assets tied to the tax.
3. Shut down the Eritrean Embassy if it is found violating UK or international law.
4. Revoke UK asylum or protection for individuals proven to fund armed groups.
5. Cooperate with the UN and ICC to prosecute financial enablers of war crimes.
 

Why This Matters for the UK and Europe
-This is not a refugee issue—it’s a national security issue.
-Refugees are being exploited, not protected.
-Allowing a dictatorship to fund war from British soil makes the UK complicit.
-Every pound collected under this tax sustains the machinery of genocide.
 

Take Action Now
If you believe in justice for Tigray, if you believe war criminals should not operate freely on UK soil—sign this petition.

Shut down the Eritrean Embassy. End the blood tax. Let justice speak.