The Ministry of Justice is drafting a new law to stiffen punishments for human trafficking while the Government is working through the embassies in Khartoum, Sudan, and Cairo, Egypt, to bring migrants back home. The Ethiopian ambassador in Egypt, Mohammed Dirir, said at the beginning of the week that nearly 200 Ethiopian migrants in the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Benghazi had so far registered to return. Foreign Minister, Dr Tedros Adhanom, told Parliament last week that most smugglers of Ethiopian migrants were Ethiopians. They had established networks covering different migration routes. In an interview with local radio the Minister of Justice said human smuggling had increased alarmingly despite measure taken previously by the government. Minister Getachew Ambaye said the main reason for this was that “measures taken against individuals that are involved in human smuggling have not been severe enough.” Currently crimes related to human smuggling provide for prison terms ranging from five to 20 years and a maximum fine of $2,500. The Minister said these were not in line with the level of crime and the new law would provide for heavier penalties.