660 Violations and 585 Deaths: The Tragedy of Migrants Through Yemen

The American Center for Justice revealed a concerning rise in the number of migrants passing through Yemen in recent years, turning this route into a stage for serious crimes perpetrated by organized smuggling networks, generating millions of dollars annually.

The report stated that approximately 77,000 migrants entered Yemen in 2022, with the number rising to 97,000 in 2023, while 80,000 migrants were recorded entering in 2024, with over 37,000 migrants during the first four months of the current year 2025.

From 2023 to 2025, the center documented 660 serious violations of migrants' rights, including deprivation of aid, mistreatment, kidnapping, arbitrary detention, physical assault, exploitation, torture, rape, forced recruitment, leading to direct killings and deaths from starvation.

The report clearly assigned responsibility, stating that smuggling networks accounted for 45% of the violations, followed by the Houthi group at 35%, while other parties, including local forces and factors related to armed conflict, bore the remaining percentage.

The report titled "Fleeing to Death" indicated that the eastern route through Yemen has become a fertile ground for serious violations, exploiting the vulnerability of migrants, especially those coming from the Horn of Africa, amid a lack of legal protection and weak regional and international coordination.

The report warned that the decline in international aid has exacerbated the suffering of migrants, pushing some women and girls into forced sexual exploitation in exchange for food and shelter.

Statistics show that 89% of migrants through Yemen are Ethiopian, compared to 11% Somali, with the report recording 585 drowning deaths in 2024 alone while crossing the sea.

The report called on the international community to take decisive action against human trafficking networks, activate legal pathways to protect migrants, and urged the Houthi group to stop recruitment and detention of migrants in illegal places, while calling on the governments of Ethiopia and Somalia to address the root causes of migration and coordinate the repatriation of their detained citizens and provide support to survivors.

The American Center for Justice emphasized that international silence means the continued loss of lives on a path where migrants' rights are disregarded, reiterating its commitment to continue documentation, investigation, and legal advocacy to protect victims and hold violators accountable for their actions.