International migration in Yemen stops receiving migrants wishing to return to their homeland
English - Monday 10 July 2023 الساعة 04:32 pm
Mukalla, NewsYemen, exclusive:
The International Organization for Migration said: It has temporarily stopped the process of registering more African migrants who wish to return to their homes within the program of voluntary return trips that it runs from time to time.
A report issued by the organization indicated that many migrants in Yemen come daily to the response points in Sana'a, Ma'rib and Aden to request assistance in returning them to their country of origin. It added that the organization's teams recorded, during the month of June, thousands of migrants who arrived in Yemen during the last period.
The report pointed out that the organization was forced to temporarily stop registering more migrants wishing to return to their homeland. It explained that the reason for this temporary suspension is that the number of migrants requesting assistance to return exceeds the currently available resources.
According to the International Organization for Migration, voluntary, humanitarian repatriation flights represent a safe and only way for migrants stranded in Yemen to return to their countries. Explained Since the beginning of the year 2023 until now, the International Organization for Migration has helped 5,631 migrants, including 5,572 of Ethiopian nationality, to return to their homes through voluntary humanitarian return flights, and this is a significant increase over previous years.
The organization's report indicated that more than 77,000 African migrants arrived in Yemen during the first half of 2013, explaining that this number exceeds the number of migrants in the past year and is close to the number of migrants in the pre-pandemic period (Corona).
The organization explained that as the number of migrants increases, so do the risks facing individuals moving along the "Eastern Corridor", which is known for human rights violations, including torture, violence and human trafficking.
The majority of migrants arriving in Yemen from the Horn of Africa hope to find work in the Gulf states, but do not expect the abuse and challenges ahead. After crossing the sea, they often fall into the hands of human traffickers, who control every step of the migrants' journey thereafter.
The organization's report confirmed that the practices of violence, exploitation and abuse against migrants are widespread, and the perpetrators act with complete impunity. He explained that about 43,000 migrants are stuck across the country amid conditions of insecurity, campaigns of arrests, and forced transfers.
In its report, the organization emphasized: "If more urgent support is not provided to the IOM's response, the organization's programs such as: humanitarian voluntary return flights and other forms of life-saving assistance may stop."
“Despite the increasing numbers of migrants entering Yemen, and the severity of the abuse they endure, individuals on the move continue to remain largely unseen,” said Matthew Haber, Acting President of the International Organization for Migration.
"The International Organization for Migration is working hand in hand with partners, donors and authorities to alleviate the suffering of stranded migrants, but the increasing number of migrants in distress requires greater resources to provide a response," the UN official added.
