NYN | News
A new group of irregular migrants has arrived on the shores of Shabwa province in eastern Yemen. On Saturday, security forces intercepted a boat carrying 150 African migrants, in yet another sign of the increasing flow of migration from the Horn of Africa to Yemen’s coastline.
The boat, named Al-Safa, was operated by a Somali crew of three and was transporting 120 men and 30 women, all of Ethiopian nationality, according to the Security Media Center of the internationally recognized Yemeni government’s Ministry of Interior.
It was confirmed that all of the migrants entered the country illegally, amid the authorities’ inability to detain or deport them due to limited resources.
Local sources indicated that coordination is underway with the relevant authorities and international organizations to determine the fate of the migrants. However, the humanitarian situation is growing increasingly complex with the recurrence of such arrivals.
Just last Wednesday, 400 migrants were apprehended in two separate incidents along the Shabwa coast, bringing the total number of arrivals in less than a week to over 550 individuals.
These figures reflect a troubling trend that underscores the growing reliance of smuggling networks on Yemen as a key transit point.
According to human rights reports, smuggling networks are exploiting the fragile security situation and weak maritime surveillance to continue sending boats from the coasts of Somalia and Djibouti toward southern and eastern Yemen, carrying migrants who hope to eventually reach Gulf countries.
