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

From 01 January to 31 December 2020, IOM Yemen DTM estimates that 37,535 migrants arrived in Yemen, and 13,895 and 266 Yemenis returned to Yemen from KSA and the Horn of Africa, respectively. The migrant caseload was 93 per cent Ethiopian and seven per cent Somali, with 94 per cent of those tracked heading to Saudi Arabia and six per cent towards Yemen. The migrants are predominantly male (72%), with 16 per cent women, nine per cent  boys and three per cent girls also among the travelers.

Through 2020 reporting period, 24,956 migrants arrived from Somalia and were recorded at Eyn Bamabad (6,522 migrants), Ber Ali (4,797 migrants), and Al-Khabyah (11,708 migrants) flow monitoring points in Shabwah governorate, and in Tajamo Sharj Al-Falahein (1,899 migrants) flow monitoring point in Hadramaut governorate . Al Aarah flow monitoring point in Lahj governorate saw the highest number of migrant arrivals, with 12,369 migrants arriving from Djibouti. Two hundred and ten migrants also arriving from Djibouti were recorded at Henath flow monitoring point in Abyan governorate.

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.