The UN Refugee Agency has launched a regional campaign themed, “Dangerous Crossings”, to expose the challenges refugees and migrants face when they cross to and through Yemen.
The campaign hopes to discourage many more from taking this dangerous journey, many of whom are from Ethiopia
It is a campaign tool the UN refugee agency is now using to give facts to people who are planning to risk their lives on dangerous trips through Yemen.
“UNHCR is not saying don’t go. Instead UNHCR is helping refugees asylum seekers and persons of concern to obtain correct information before they go to Yemen and to make an informed decision.” Mathew Crentsil said.
The International Organization for Migration reports more than 87,000 migrants, most of them Africans, arrived in Yemen last year through smuggling networks.
Most of the Ethiopians head to Yemen from Djibouti with more than 100 migrants reportedly arriving in Djibouti daily, aiming to reach the Gulf States, Saudi Arabia or Europe.
“Most never reach their final destination as dreamed but rather become victims of physical and sexual abuse torture abduction and forced labour” Ethiopia’s refugee agency official, Arra Zewdu Begda said.
Ethiopia has seen first-hand the effects of illegal migration. In 2013 it was forced to repatriate over 100,000 of its citizens from Saudi Arabia. Since 2017 a further 60,000 have been repatriated.
The UN campaign also involves the dissemination of recorded testimonies from people who have attempted dangerous migration journeys and have lived to tell the story of their suffering.
Migration from Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Kenya will continue – but the UN hopes that with this campaign the people who aren’t sure about leaving, will have the right information to prevent them from taking the risk.
