The Risks and Dangers of Irregular Migration: Yemen and the Horn of Africa as a Case Study

By Mahfouz Al-Baithi

Irregular migration from the Horn of Africa, particularly from Ethiopia and Somalia, to Yemen is increasing year by year. Migrants’ search for a better life carries severe risks and adds to Yemen’s suffering, a country already devastated by a civil war ongoing since 2015.

Security and Economic Threats

Irregular migration threatens not only Yemen’s stability but also its security. Migrants are often recruited by terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda, while their arrival contributes to rising crime rates, drug trafficking, and underpaid labor that competes with local workers.

The International Organization for Migration reported that December 2024 witnessed the highest influx of migrants from the Horn of Africa in five years, reaching nearly 20,000 arrivals.

The Perils of the Journey

The maritime route is extremely dangerous. Overcrowded and poorly maintained boats put migrants at constant risk of drowning. Over the past two decades, around 1,700 migrants have died in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.

In early 2015, a boat near Bab Al-Mandab sank, killing 20 out of 35 Ethiopian migrants onboard. More recently, in July, another boat capsized off southern Yemen’s Abyan governorate, leaving dozens missing or dead.

A Hazardous Route

Most migrants depart from Ethiopia, passing through Djibouti or Bossaso in Somalia, before crossing the Red Sea to Yemen on fragile boats. Often, more than 200 migrants arrive daily, seeking work in agriculture, trade, development, or even joining armed groups for pay, or using Yemen as a transit point to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

Drivers of Migration

Research indicates that irregular migration is driven by political instability, poverty, unemployment, and governments’ failure to provide opportunities. Push factors force youth to leave, while pull factors, such as Yemen, attract them with the hope of a better life.

The Role of Smugglers

Smuggling networks play a major role, transforming migration into a lucrative trade generating over $30 million annually. Migrants pay large sums, are crowded onto unsafe boats, and face numerous dangers: drowning, hunger, thirst, and military attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, especially after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.

Struggles Upon Arrival

Even after reaching Yemen, migrants face detention, mistreatment, and for women, risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. Migrants are thus double victims: first, of their home countries’ conditions, and second, of smugglers exploiting them during their journey.

Possible Solutions

Experts recommend addressing irregular migration through:

• Strong political will in source countries to tackle root causes.

• Raising awareness about the risks of irregular migration.

• Creating economic opportunities and local development.

• Providing legal alternatives for migration.

• Strengthening international cooperation to combat smuggling networks and offering financial and technical support to affected countries like Yemen.

Conclusion

Irregular migration from the Horn of Africa to Yemen is both a humanitarian and security crisis. Without effective development policies and safe alternatives, migrants will continue to face dangers, and Yemen will continue to bear the burden.

Mahfouz Al-Baithi is a Journalist from Yemen

The opinions expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not represent the views of Nisaba Media.