The head of the UN refugee agency says he is "deeply alarmed" by reports of Eritrean refugees in the Ethiopian region of Tigray being killed, abducted and forcibly returned to Eritrea.
Filippo Grandi said if such acts were confirmed, it would be a major breach of international law.
Mr Grandi said the UN needed unhindered access to four refugee camps in Tigray.
The UN has said the forced return of Eritrean refugees to these camps was also completely unacceptable.
Ethiopian forces have been battling the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in the region since 4 November.
The government says it is in control of Tigray and the conflict is over. However, TPLF leaders say they are still fighting on various fronts.
On Friday, the Ethiopian government said it was returning Eritrean refugees who had fled to the capital Addis Ababa from camps in Tigray.
Nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees have been living camps in Tigray. They fled political persecution and compulsory military service, long before the current conflict.
"A large number of misinformed refugees are moving out in an irregular manner," a government statement said. "The government is safely returning those refugees to their respective camps."
Food was being transported to the camps, the statement added.
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