United Nations: Widespread violations and forced deportation of African migrants in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen

The United Nations confirmed that African refugees are subjected to various types of violations by the Houthis, before they are forced to forcibly move to areas controlled by the Yemeni government, while 1,860 migrants lost their lives along the road from the Horn of Africa to Yemen within a year.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen said, during a report on humanitarian developments in Yemen, that the Houthis in Sanaa and Saada Governorate have deported thousands of African migrants towards the city of Aden, which the internationally recognized government is using as the temporary capital of the country.

He added that migrants are subjected to detention and various types of human rights violations in areas under Houthi control, before being forced to leave towards government-controlled areas.

During the recent period, according to the United Nations Office, the number of African migrants being forcefully deported from Houthi-controlled areas to Aden has increased, and these are areas where there are about 5,000 stranded migrants.

The report indicated that the number of African migrants stranded in Yemen has increased recently, as there are more than 14,000 people in 3 governorates under government control, including 5,000 in Aden, 4,500 in Ma’rib, and the same in Shabwa Governorate. He said that these people need humanitarian aid, and are waiting for safe return flights to their countries.

The Houthi militias carried out successive campaigns to deport African immigrants from areas under their control to areas under government control, following the fire that occurred in a detention center, which led to the death of dozens.

Yemeni government sources say that the Houthis give migrants the choice between joining their ranks to fight or being forcibly deported to government-controlled areas, where they are placed in trucks transporting animals and thrown on the outskirts of areas under government control in miserable humanitarian conditions.

The International Organization for Migration called on countries to provide regular migration routes to ensure safe migration, and said that since the beginning of this year, the Missing Migrants Project has recorded 1,860 deaths and disappearances among migrants along the so-called Eastern Route from East Africa and the Horn of Africa to Yemen, including 480. person due to drowning.

The organization stated that it encourages countries to adopt regional strategies to improve migration management that provide assistance to people, regardless of their status, and it also coordinates with 48 other humanitarian and development organizations and governments to confront these challenges.

The International Organization for Migration recalled that the road from the eastern Horn of Africa to Yemen is one of the most crowded and dangerous mixed migration routes in the world, as it is frequented by hundreds of thousands of migrants, most of whom make irregular journeys.

Migrants often rely on smugglers for the journey, and are often exposed to increased risks, including human trafficking, during the perilous boat journey to the shores of Yemen. Despite the ongoing conflict in Yemen, thousands of migrants, according to the organization, are still crossing the border into Yemen in the hope of reaching the Gulf countries.

During the first half of this year, the Displacement Tracking Matrix noted the arrival of more than 10,300 migrants to Yemen, an 87 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2023.

According to the International Organization for Migration, the significant increase in the flow of migrants is due to the continuation of the conflict in the countries of the Horn of Africa, especially Ethiopia and Somalia, and the deterioration of the security, humanitarian and economic conditions, in addition to the end of the restrictions that were imposed on movement due to the Corona virus. The majority of them intend to reach the Gulf countries to search for work, but they face violations and difficulties in Yemen, and very limited access to basic services, such as shelter, food, water, and health care.