Yemen — Flow Monitoring Points | Migrant Arrivals and Yemeni Returns in December 2020

IOM Yemen DTM’s Flow Monitoring Registry (FMR) monitors key migrant arrival and Yemeni return locations on Yemen's northern border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and southern coastal border. Enumerators placed at Flow Monitoring Points (FMPs) record arrivals of migrants and returning Yemeni nationals in order to identify different patterns and types 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 the individuals recorded at FMPs during the timeframe indicated. Access constraints limit the ability to collect data at some migrant arrival points.

IOM Yemen DTM estimates that 2,035 migrants entered Yemen during the month of December 2020. Currently, IOM Yemen DTM does not have access to Manfath Alwadeeah FMP, on the KSA-Yemen land border point, and therefore cannot report information on Yemeni returnees. From 1st January to 31th December 2020, an estimated 37,535 migrants arrived in Yemen, and 13,895 Yemenis returned from KSA, while another 266 Yemenis returned from the Horn of Africa.

The migrant caseload has been primarily Ethiopian (89%) and Somalis (11%), with 99% of those tracked heading for Saudi Arabia and 1% towards Yemen. The migrants are predominantly male (65%), with 16% women and 12% boys and 7% girls also among the travellers.

Through the December 2020 reporting period, the highest arrivals were observed at Shabwah governorate with 1,533 migrants entering at Eyn Bamabad and Ber Ali monitoring points.

METHODOLOGY:

DTM’s global flow monitoring methodology aims to identify areas prone to internal, cross-border and regional migration. Mobility area assessments are conducted at the national level. DTM teams then collect information at the local level to identify key transit points. Enumerators collect data from key informants at the flow monitoring points: key informants may be transport staff, custom officers, boat operators or migrants themselves. Data is collected through a basic form combined with direct observations –enabling breakdowns.

LIMITATIONS:

 Data collected for these exercises should be understood as estimations only. They represent only part of the total flows passing through Yemen. The spatial and temporal coverage of this data collection activity is therefore incomplete. In addition, although data is collected daily, it is collected only during peak hours. The portion of the flows that occur during the uncovered hours is not represented. Data on vulnerability is based on direct observation and should be understood as mainly indicative.

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