By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
AHWAR, Yemen – At least 26 Somali refugees died when smugglers forced them overboard near the coast of Yemen, reported the UN Refugee Agency on Wednesday, September 9. Seventy-four survivors made it to the Yemeni coast and were then taken to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Center in Ahwar, Yemen. Twenty people are still missing.
Survivors told the UN Refugee Center that around 120 people were being smuggled on a boat to Yemen when smugglers forced the passengers off the boat at gunpoint on Monday, September 7; those who refused were pushed, beaten and some killed. Survivors explained that they had been told by the smugglers before boarding that a smaller boat would meet them to take them ashore, but no small boat arrived.
A similar incident occurred in late August when 12 refugees died after jumping overboard during a gun battle between a smuggling boat and a Yemeni military vessel.
Fighting between factions in Somalia has caused a surge in refugees pouring into Yemen across the Gulf of Aden. Despite a ceasefire that was signed in June, violence in Somalia has not lessened causing many to flee. According to a UNCHR press release, at least 25,859 people have been smuggled to Yemen, more than two times the number from this time last year.
Smuggling in the Gulf of Aden normally declines during the summer months due to bad weather conditions. It is believed that a decline in coastal security, due to the arrival of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, has let to a rise in smuggling.
Many refugees face additional problems once they reach Yemen. Despite official statements by the Yemeni government that Somali refugees would be allowed prima facie, many migrants face the possibility of imprisonment or deportation once they arrive.
Despite the belief that Ramadan will lead to a decrease in coastal security, Yemen has recently increased its military presence in the Gulf of Aden. The increased military presence has caused smugglers to panic resulting in incidents like this to avoid contact with the Yemeni military. While the official reason for the increased security is for protection of sea vessels from piracy, increased danger for Somalis seeking refuge in Yemen may also result.
For more information, please see:
AFP – Dozens of Migrants Die Crossing Gulf of Aden: UNHCR – 10 September 2008
Al Jazeera – Dozens Drown Off Yemeni Coast – 10 September 2008
CNN International – Gunmen Force Refugees Overboard off Yemen – 10 September 2008
Reuters Africa – At Least 25 Somali Migrants Drown Off Yemen Coast – 10 September 2008
UNHCR – At Least 26 Dead in Gulf of Aden Smuggling Incident – 10 September 2008
Yemen News Agency – Yemen Wages War on Pirates in Regional Waters – 9 September 2008
Yemen Times – Dire Circumstances Will Force Refugees To Become Involved In Acts of Terrorism – Issue: (1188), Volume 16, From 8 September 2008 to 10 September 2008
BBC – Somalis Flood to Yemen for Refuge – 4 July 2008
