Yemen - Flow Monitoring Registry | Non-Yemeni Migrant Arrivals and Yemeni Migrant Returnees in September 2024

OVERVIEW: The Flow Monitoring Registry (FMR) of the IOM Yemen Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) monitors the arrival of migrants along Yemen’s southern coastal border and the return of Yemeni nationals along its northern border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to identify migration patterns and provide quantitative estimates of the irregular migrant population entering the country. It’s crucial to understand that the FMR does not capture all migration flows as demonstrated by departures to Yemen captured by IOM DTM Djibouti to areas along the West Coast of Yemen which have remained inaccessible for assessments. Instead, it provides indicative insights into migration trends based on a known total number of migrants arriving along monitored coast and land borders during the reporting period. As of the end of September 2024, IOM gained access to the coast of Ta'iz in Dhubab allowing for an improved coverage of arrivals from Djibouti. Please note that this improved coverage will translate into an increased overall number of arrivals that is not necessarily representative of an increase in arrival numbers.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: In September 2024, the IOM Yemen DTM tracked 2,692 migrants entering Yemen, a 65 per cent increase from the total figure reported in the previous month (1,631 migrants). The majority of migrants (79%) left from Bari Region in Somalia, while the rest (21%) departed from Djibouti.

Among the total migrants recorded, 12 per cent were children, 25 per cent were women, and 63 per cent were men.

Typically, Lahj serves as an entry point for migrants departing through Djibouti whereas Shabwah serves as an entry point for migrants departing through Somalia. During the reporting period, most migrants still entered through Somalia (79%) with 21 per cent arriving on the west coast in Ta'iz governorate. As tracking in Ta'iz began in the end of September, this proportion is likely to change in October. Meanwhile, no migrants were recorded arriving in Lahj, likely due to measures taken by the government to combat smuggling since August 2023.

The DTM team identified 4,045 Yemeni returnees in September 2024, a two per cent decrease compared to the number of returnees in July (4,113 individuals). Additionally, the team recorded a total of 284 migrants that were deported from Oman back to Deifen Point in Shahan district of Al Maharah Governorate, Yemen. All deported migrants were Ethiopian nationals.

While the worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen has compelled some migrants to make the difficult decision to return to their home countries in the Horn of Africa, others have reportedly been returned by government authorities. In September 2024, DTM recorded a total of 1,582 migrants leaving Yemen either voluntarily or returned by boat from Yemen. This group was composed of 92 per cent men, seven per cent women, and one per cent children.

Furthermore, in September 2024, the Djibouti DTM team reported a total of 1,561 migrants (94% men, 5% women, and 1% children) arrived in Djibouti from Yemen. These figures underscore the significant challenges migrants in Yemen face and the desperate circumstances that have led them to risk dangerous sea voyages.