Written by: Anindita Revana Adrian, Catherine Alexandra Kho, & Kevin Andrew Pardede
Research and Analysis Division – FPCI Chapter UI Board of 2025
General Overview
Each year, approximately 50,000 to 150,000 migrants—primarily from Ethiopia and Somalia—risk their lives along the Eastern Route in pursuit of better opportunities in Saudi Arabia. Many become trapped in Yemen due to the ongoing civil war, human trafficking networks, and increasingly stricter border controls. Throughout their journey, migrants face exploitation, abuse, and life-threatening conditions. Reports have also emerged accusing Saudi forces of using lethal force against migrants at the border, raising grave concerns over human rights violations (Harter, 2025). Urgent international action is required to establish safer migration pathways, provide emergency humanitarian assistance, and uphold international protection frameworks to prevent further suffering and loss of life among these vulnerable populations. As the crisis worsens, how much longer will the international community allow these atrocities to continue unchecked?
Introduction
Migration from Africa to Yemen is rooted in deep structural issues, including political instability, economic hardship, and armed conflict in countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea. Limited opportunities for sustainable livelihoods push many, especially youth, to seek better futures in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, driven by the hope of higher wages and the ability to support their families (IOM, 2024). For many, migration is not a choice, but a desperate survival strategy.
The journey from the Horn of Africa to Yemen is fraught with extreme danger. Migrants often cross the harsh Danakil Desert and attempt dangerous sea crossings over the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden. Though intended as a transit point, Yemen’s decade-long civil war has made it one of the most dangerous places for migrants, where they face violence from armed groups, traffickers, and criminal gangs. Many suffer forced labor, extortion, and sexual violence. What was meant as a temporary stop on the way to the Gulf frequently becomes a final, unintended destination (Mackey, 2024). The lack of a functioning government in Yemen worsens the situation, leaving migrants with little to no access to legal protection or basic services.
The international response—such as the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM)—remains insufficient. Humanitarian agencies trying to assist migrants face severe challenges, including security threats and limited access to conflict-affected areas. Thousands of stranded migrants are left without access to basic needs like healthcare, food, and clean water. Despite the growing scale of the crisis, protection efforts remain underfunded and poorly coordinated (Vitorino, 2025). Addressing the crisis facing African migrants in Yemen requires urgent, coordinated international action that combines immediate humanitarian aid with long-term solutions targeting the root causes of migration and protecting migrants’ rights and safety.
Background on Yemen’s Ongoing Conflict and Regional Spillover
After the Houthi rebel group seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, a Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government had imposed air and sea blockades on the country (Center for Preventive Action, 2025). These restrictions severely restricted access Yemenis have to commercial goods and humanitarian aid, contributing to over 60% of conflict-related deaths and pushing tens of millions to famine (Friends Committee on National Legislation, n.d.). Although a ceasefire brokered by the United Nations (UN) in 2022 significantly reduced hostilities, the situation remains unstable. Following the escalation of the Israel-Gaza genocide on the 7th of October 2023, the Houthis resumed attacks on Israeli targets and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Retaliating, the United States and the United Kingdom launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen (Center for Preventive Action, 2025).
Overview of Migration Pathways from the Horn of Africa
Amid the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the country remains a critical transit point along the Eastern Route—one of three primary migration paths used by individuals fleeing hardship in the Horn of Africa. Historically, there are three primary migration routes used by migrants from the Horn of Africa: the Northern Route through Libya to Europe or Egypt to Israel, the Southern Route through Kenya to South Africa, and the Eastern Route through Yemen to Saudi Arabia (IOM, 2018). Those traveling these routes are often escaping political instability, drought, poverty, and land scarcity, with most seeking better economic opportunities (IOM, 2018).
Despite the high risk of human trafficking and abuse, many migrants still choose to undertake these perilous journeys in hopes of reaching their intended destinations. The Northern Route is often preferred for its higher wage prospects and perceived ease of access to asylum, but it also entails risks such as deportation and treacherous sea crossings (Richthofen, 2024). The Southern Route avoids sea travel and leads to established migrant communities as well as economic opportunities in South Africa. Still, migrants on this route also face risks of detention in transit countries (Goldberg, 2024) and xenophobic-based violence (Williams, 2024).
The Enduring Appeal of the Eastern Route Amidst Conflict
Although each migration route poses distinct risks and opportunities, the Eastern Route through Yemen remains particularly hazardous due to the country’s ongoing armed conflict. Nevertheless, awareness of the war-torn conditions has not discouraged migrants; the route remains one of the busiest (Williams, 2024). Between January 2022 and October 2023, 260,553 migrants departed Ethiopia; 59% aimed for Saudi Arabia, and while 93,526 successfully reached Yemen (IOM Regional Office for the East and Horn of Africa, 2023).
The majority of migrants persist in braving this perilous journey due to a strong sense of responsibility to their families (Osman, 2017). Positive perceptions of migration formed through misinformation spread by smugglers, along with migration success stories found in local chatter also feed into this persistence. Most often, Yemen is merely a transit country—downplaying the effects the current war would have on their migration journey–assuming the lawlessness would aid them in transiting through the country unnoticed (Osman, 2018).
Human Trafficking and Smuggling Networks
Unfortunately, this misinformed view of Yemen’s current conditions does not reflect the reality migrants face while transiting through the country. Thousands of migrants connect with smugglers to guide them illegally to Yemen through the coasts of Djibouti (Mixed Migration Centre, 2024). Migrants have also reported being thrown off boats by smugglers and forced to swim to Yemen’s shores to avoid detection. Upon arrival, they frequently encounter new smuggling networks requiring additional payments (Tinti, 2017). Migrants who do not pay are detained by armed groups for ransom and often abused to extract payments from their families (Ravenstone Consult, 2023), or forced to work off their debt. These smuggling operations are reportedly linked to various actors, including military officials, local authorities, coast guards, Houthi rebels, and Saudi border forces. Some migrants are also forcibly recruited into the Yemen conflict or used as drug couriers in exchange for reduced smuggling fees (Tinti, 2017).
Widespread Violations of Migrants’ Rights in Yemen and Saudi Arabia
Migrants along the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border face extensive human rights abuses. A recent report by Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) reveals that 13.4 million migrant workers in Saudi Arabia endure exploitative working conditions (ADHRB, 2025). In Yemen, there are ongoing reports of arbitrary detentions under inhumane conditions, physical abuse, forced labor, and acts of sexual violence perpetrated by armed groups and border authorities (ECDHR, 2024). Particularly concerning are the allegations of extrajudicial executions and mass killings carried out by Saudi security forces.
Multiple reports from human rights organizations and international bodies highlight the inadequate enforcement of legal frameworks designed to protect vulnerable populations, such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, in the context of migrants along the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border. For instance, documented mass killings of Ethiopian migrants by Saudi border forces represent a severe breach of international human rights standards (Musambi, 2023). It is also reported that Yemen has failed to uphold its obligations under the Refugee Convention, including instances of refoulement and abuse of asylum seekers (Albin-Lackey, 2023). A significant gap exists between protective legal instruments and their practical implementation in safeguarding migrant rights in the region.
The Role of Saudi Arabia and Yemen in Worsening the Crisis
Saudi Arabia’s stringent border enforcement mechanisms have precipitated egregious human rights violations against Ethiopian migrants. Between March 2022 and June 2023, Saudi border forces reportedly killed hundreds of migrants through the deployment of explosive weaponry and close-range firearms (Human Rights Watch, 2023). Survivor testimonies reveal the indiscriminate character of these assaults, with women and children disproportionately affected as victims (Human Rights Watch, 2024). Moreover, Saudi authorities have instituted mass deportations of Ethiopian migrants, frequently circumventing due legal processes and subjecting these individuals to conditions of detention that are widely regarded as inhumane prior to their expulsion (Kristos, 2024).
In parallel, the ongoing conflict in Yemen has further endangered the status of migrants in the region. Various armed factions, including Houthi forces, have instrumentalized migrants within their political and military agendas, with credible reports of forced conscription and individuals caught in the crossfire of ongoing hostilities (Middle East Monitor, 2020). Detention centers managed by different militant groups have become infamous for systematic torture and exploitation, further compounding the dire circumstances faced by these vulnerable populations (Amnesty International, 2018). This confluence of border enforcement policies and armed conflict engenders a multifaceted crisis that necessitates critical scholarly attention and advocacy to protect their rights and dignity.
The Lack of International Response
Despite the growing urgency of the situation, the international response remains deeply inadequate, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of migrants and highlighting a larger systemic disregard for their rights and safety. The UN and the IOM face significant challenges in intervening effectively due to security risks within Yemen and political tensions with Saudi Arabia. The UN suspended its humanitarian operations in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Saada province following the detention of multiple staff members, highlighting the precarious environment hindering aid efforts (Magdy, 2025).
African nations such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea encounter substantial obstacles in repatriating and supporting deported migrants, primarily due to internal instability. Ethiopia, for example, has been urged by UN experts to halt the mass deportation of Eritreans, as such actions exacerbate the vulnerabilities of already at-risk populations (United Nations, 2023). Furthermore, Western and Gulf countries prioritize economic and security interests over humanitarian interventions. The United Kingdom’s support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, including the provision of arms and logistical assistance, exemplifies a focus on strategic alliances and economic benefits, sometimes at the expense of addressing human rights concerns (Wearing, 2024).
What Could Be Done?
1. Reforming the Kafala System in Saudi Arabia
The Kafala system in Saudi Arabia has been widely criticized for enabling exploitative labor practices by binding migrant workers’ legal status to their employers, thereby restricting their ability to change jobs or leave the country without employer consent. Although Saudi Arabia introduced labor reforms in March 2021 to ease some of these restrictions, these changes have been deemed insufficient, as they exclude domestic workers and fail to abolish the Kafala system entirely (Human Rights Watch, 2021). Comprehensive reforms are necessary to grant all migrant workers the freedom to change employers and exit the country without requiring employer consent, thereby protecting their fundamental rights.
2. Ratifying International Refugee Conventions
Saudi Arabia has not acceded to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, resulting in the absence of formal asylum procedures and protections for refugees within the country (Janmyr, 2021). Lacking a formal legal framework leaves many individuals vulnerable to deportation and without access to essential services. Ratifying these international instruments would establish a legal foundation for the protection of individuals at risk of persecution and demonstrate a commitment to upholding international human rights standards.
3. Strengthening International Humanitarian Assistance in Yemen
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 21 million people in need of assistance, including migrants and displaced populations (Magdy, 2025). Security concerns, obstruction by armed groups, and logistical challenges often hamper aid delivery. International organizations must enhance efforts to provide lifesaving, multisectoral humanitarian and specialized protection assistance in Yemen, addressing immediate needs and supporting community stabilization.
4. Enhancing Protection Measures for Migrants at Borders
Migrants crossing the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border face severe human rights abuses, including killings by border guards. Both Saudi and Yemeni authorities should implement measures to ensure migrants’ safety and protection, such as training border security personnel on human rights standards, establishing independent monitoring mechanisms, and holding perpetrators of abuses accountable.
Conclusion
The situation facing African migrants along the Eastern Route illustrates a significant failure of both national and international systems to protect vulnerable populations. Caught between conflict, exploitation, and border violence, migrants are subjected to conditions that systematically strip them not only of their safety but of their fundamental dignity. Addressing this crisis demands more than temporary humanitarian relief; it requires dismantling exploitative systems, strengthening humanitarian aid, and establishing effective protection mechanisms. Without urgent and coordinated action, the Eastern Route will remain a deadly corridor of suffering. Real change begins by ensuring migrants are no longer treated as collateral in conflicts and crises but as human beings entitled to safety, dignity, and a future.
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