Over 30,000 refugees and migrants arrive in Yemen so far this year
Briefing Notes, 26 April 2013
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards - to
whom quoted text may be attributed - at the press briefing, on 26 April
2013, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
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.
