Drawn from a large scale research on migration management, this study examines the experience of Ethiopian returnee migrants from the Middle East and South Africa to conceptualize the context in which migration turns into trafficking. In the Ethiopian context, a blended framework of economic vulnerability and social network approach seems to govern risky migration and the trafficking that follows it. Findings show that returnees experienced one or more forms of abuse both during their way to and arrival and stay at the destined places. The main exploiters are the employers who are unchecked due to the ‘kafala’ sponsorship system and poor support of migrants by agencies and embassies. Based on the findings, discussions are provided on how trafficking is understood in the context of Ethiopian returnee migrants.