Tag Archives: migrants

At least eight drown in Red Sea as smugglers force migrants overboard

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At least eight people are feared dead and 22 others are missing after smugglers stopped a boat carrying around 150 passengers likely bound for Yemen on 5 June.

“These young people were forced into impossible choices by smugglers who show no regard for human life,” said Celestine Frantz, the UN migration agency’s Regional Director for the East, Horn and Southern Africa. “We are doing everything we can to support the survivors and prevent further loss along this deadly route.”

Rescue mission

Search and rescue operations supported by the International Organization for Migration, IOM, have recovered five bodies from the sea near Moulhoulé in northern Djibouti. The confirmed death toll stands at eight but this is expected to rise as search efforts continue.

IOM said that in the days following the incident, many of those rescued were found in the desert by the UN agency’s mobile patrols. They are now receiving urgent medical care at a local hospital and psychosocial support at the IOM-run Migrant Response Center in Obock, Djibouti.

Thousands of migrants from the Horn of Africa risk their lives every year to reach the Gulf States via Yemen where they hope to find work.

So far this year, 272 people have been confirmed dead on the Eastern Mediterranean migrant route which includes the Djibouti to Yemen leg. This includes both land and sea routes, according to IOM data.

“This latest tragedy is part of a series of fatal maritime incidents off the coast of Djibouti, underscoring the urgent need for stronger protection mechanisms for migrants along the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Yemen,” IOM said.
Warning that this latest deadly incident is part of a growing crisis, the UN agency has called for increased international support to strengthen search and rescue operations and expand access to safe migration pathways.

Libya focus

In a related development, IOM reported on Tuesday that the bodies of 10 migrants had washed ashore near Marsa Matrouh in Egypt.

The dead are believed to have set sail from the Libyan coast which is often used by people smugglers to traffic migrants across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

More than 32,000 people are known to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea since 2014 “with an unknown number still missing”, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project said.

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UN migration agency helping migrants in the US return home voluntarily

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In a statement on Monday, the UN agency said it is supporting Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) – not deportation – for those who decide to leave the US.

At the request of the US Government, IOM is helping people who register to go back to their countries of origin voluntarily.

“AVR is a well-established, rights-based approach that helps migrants navigate complex global migration systems, regain control over their lives, and make informed choices,” the agency said.

Safe, dignified returns

“Our role is to ensure that those who lack the means to return on their own can do so in a safe, dignified, and informed way,” IOM added.

The agency made it clear that the US determines its own policies on migration. “IOM does not facilitate or implement deportations. Our involvement begins only after an individual gives informed consent to receive assistance.”

In these instances, “IOM ensures that people have access to accurate information and essential services, in line with international standards.”

The announcement comes as the US seeks to expand deportation of undocumented migrants in continuation of a policy President Donald Trump began nearly 10 years ago under his first administration.

He returned to office in January for a second term and has been cracking down on illegal immigration through raids, detentions and deportations. 

In a video posted to social media on Friday, President Trump said that he had signed an Executive Order “to launch the first-ever self-deportation programme for illegal aliens,” offering free flights from the US and payment of an “exit bonus.”

Support for a life-changing decision

IOM was established in 1951 and promotes humane and orderly migration.

For decades the agency has supported AVR programmes in more than 100 countries, “helping people without resources, legal options, or support return to their countries of origin safely and with dignity,” it said.

IOM noted that in the US, “many migrants face a challenging reality – navigating complex systems with limited options and resources,” and “this initiative provides support to those who choose to return, helping them make a life-changing decision with care and clarity.” 

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