Over 30,000 refugees and migrants arrive in Yemen so far this year

Briefing notes

Over 30,000 refugees and migrants arrive in Yemen so far this year

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

26 April 2013

In Yemen, UNHCR has recorded the arrival of over 30,000 refugees and migrants so far this year. Most are Ethiopian nationals, with the rest coming from Somalia and a very small number from other African countries. In total, and since 2006 when UNHCR began gathering data, close to half a million people (477,000) have arrived in Yemen by taking the perilous boat journey from the Horn of Africa.

Recorded arrivals in Yemen of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants have been rising in each of the past six years. Last year 107,500 people made the journey. The arrival rate so far this year compares to 33,634 arrivals in the same period of 2012.

Somalis arriving in Yemen are automatically recognized as refugees by the authorities, while UNHCR conducts refugee status determination for other nationals. Yemen is frequently used as a transit point by Ethiopians looking to travel to the Gulf States and beyond. Few Ethiopians decide to seek asylum. There are many reports of mistreatment, abuse, or torture among people who make the journey by smugglers boats.

Conflict and instability in Yemen have limited the ability of the authorities to address trafficking, particularly along the Red Sea coast where Yemeni smugglers and traffickers are often waiting to receive new arrivals from the Horn of Africa.

However, recently the government has been active in detecting smuggler hideouts and taking action. Last week in Hajjah Governorate near the Saudi border, the Yemeni authorities stormed a number of houses operated by human traffickers and freed more than 500 Ethiopian migrants including women and children. Many of the released Africans showed signs of torture and abuse. Although the authorities have been conducting similar raids since 2012, incidents of extortion, exploitation, violence and sexual abuse perpetrated against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are on the increase in the region.

Many of the new arrivals are abducted or abandoned at the coast. They make their way, generally by foot, to Haradh district in the north where they often find they are unable to continue on to Saudi Arabia. Many suffer hunger and exposure.

Yemen is a historical transit hub for migrants and stands out in the region for its hospitality towards refugees. The country hosts more than 242,000 refugees, of which 231,064 are of Somali origin.

Out of the total number of those arriving this year some 7518 arrived in January, 10,145 in February, and 1806 in March. UNHCR is still recording arrivals for April.

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