Yemen — Flow Monitoring Registry | Non-Yemeni Migrant Arrivals and Yemeni Migrant Returnees in December 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 di_erent 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 an effort to reduce the flow of migrants entering Yemen, which primarily crosses through its territory towards Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, a joint military campaign was initiated in August 2023. This campaign focused on the coast of Lahj governorate, a significant entry point for a large number of migrants (max. 15,714 migrants in March). To achieve this goal, the military campaign increased detentions of smugglers and pursued their boats, leading to a steady decline in the flow of migrants through this coast until it had ceased entirely during October and November 2023.

In December 2023, IOM Yemen DTM recorded 1,679 migrants entering Yemen, an increase of 13 per cent compared to last month (1,465). Shabwah typically serves as an entry point for migrants from Somalia and rarely sees migrants departing from Djibouti due to the considerable distance between Djibouti and Shabwah. In Shabwah, the total number of migrants entered during December was 1,569 (1,197 departing from Somalia and 372 departing from Djibouti).

The overall number of migrants entering through Shabwah has increased by seven per cent in December (1,569) compared to November (1,465). According to DTM, conflict-induced movements constituted 73 per cent of all incoming movements in December 2023. These movements were exclusively observed in Shabwah, originating from Bari, Somalia (70%) and Obock, Djibouti (30%).

Djibouti DTM team recorded 286 migrants (272 males and 14 females) returned to the Horn of Africa during December 2023 due to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and challenges in reaching Saudi Arabia. Additionally, DTM observed a decrease in Yemeni returnees by six per cent in December (4,827) compared to November (5,111). Between January and December 2023, DTM recorded a total of 97,210 migrants and 55,402 Yemeni migrant returnees to Yemen.