By way of patriotism, coercion, or instrumentalization: how the Eritrean regime makes use of the diaspora to stabilize its rule

Eritrea is one of the most diasporic countries in the world with one-third of the population living abroad, and one-third of the state’s budget is derived from remittances. This is done by coercion, since vital services such as the extension of passports are subject to tax payment, and by appeals to the diaspora’s long-distance nationalism, fuelled through festivals, seminars, and EriTV broadcasts. Following the introduction of an open-ended national service in 2002, the regime initially tried to restrict the resulting youth exodus by punitive measures, but is now regarding the new exiles as an additional source of tax income and has instrumentalized them to influence European policy-makers. The Eritrean case demonstrates how an authoritarian regime can perpetuate its rule by exploiting the diaspora’s patriotism and feelings of personal obligations or by mere coercion through its transnational institutions.