Yemen - Flow Monitoring Registry| Non-Yemeni Migrant Arrivals and Yemeni Migrant Returnees in July 2023

IOM Yemen DTM’s Flow Monitoring Registry (FMR) monitors migrant arrivals on the southern coastal border and Yemeni return locations on Yemen's northern border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Enumerators placed at Flow Monitoring Points (FMPs) record migrant arrivals and returning Yemeni nationals to identify different patterns of migration, and to provide quantitative estimates to help define the population of irregular migrants entering the country. FMR is not representative of all flows in Yemen and should be understood as only indicative of migration trends of the unknown total number of migrants arriving in Yemen at FMPs during the time frame indicated. Access constraints limit the ability to collect data at some migrant arrival points.

In July 2023, IOM Yemen DTM recorded 9,500 migrants entering Yemen, a decrease of 12 per cent since last month (10,800 migrants in June 2023). The number of migrants entering Yemen via the Lahj coast has decreased 11 per cent since last month (from 8,789 in June to 7,835 in July). Similarily, the number of migrants entering Shabwah through the shore decreased by 17 per cent (from 2,008 in June to 1,665 in July) due to changes in the weather conditions, namely high tides and windy weather. DTM recorded conflict induced movements as the reason for 17 per cent of all incoming movements in July 2023. All conflict induced travel was recorded in Shabwah coming from Bari, Somalia (31% children, 10% women, and 59% men).

Due to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the challenges in moving towards KSA, many migrants opted to return to the Horn of Africa. DTM teams in Djibouti recorded that during July 2023, a total of 805 migrants (752 male and 53 female) took the risky return by boat from Yemen to travel home. Meanwhile, DTM observed a significant increase in Yemeni returnees (85%) compared to last month (2,322 in June to 4,286 in July). Between 1 January and 31 July 2023, DTM recorded 86,630 migrants and 31,364 Yemeni migrant returnees to Yemen. IOM DTM received further information from border officials during July 2023 regarding the deportation of 89 Ethiopian migrants from Oman into Hawf district of Al Maharah governorate. These migrants had travelled through Yemen to Oman but were deported back into Yemen by Omani authorities.