Background and context

In response and  prevention for COVID-19, the Protection Field Unit (PFU) has established a Mixed Movements (MM) and detention monitoring tracking sheet, to be able to track  and evaluate the situation and the impacts of the global pandemic ravaging the world and effecting a fragile areas like Yemen who is facing the worst humanitarian situation in the world due to the unrest and the ongoing war since 2015.    

The list was prepared with the objective of collecting any available information about groups of mixed refugees and migrants and other PoCs subject of quarantine centres established as mitigation measures of COVID19 or its impact between the Governorates or at the border of the country.

By collecting information from FOs, PFU was able to map the situation precisely and provide accurate information to build a protection strategy that can address the needs of persons of concerns.

From the information collected, approximately 1500 Ethiopians were forcibly deported by local Authority in Marib to Bayhan Shabwa, while Al Jawf Human Rights Office reported that 700 migrants have been forcibly displaced from the border to Marib governorate due to Quarantine Centers incapacity. In Sanaa, around 100 Ethiopians referred from the quarantine center in Qahaza to IPNA, and according to INTERSOS lawyer, they have been pushed towards southern Governorate.  Mixed groups of refugees and migrants “orbiting” in Yemen; whether new arrivals on the southern shores or crossing the northern Yemeni border forcibly from KSA towards Yemeni territory, are facing difficult situation, subject to arbitrary detention and deprivation of food, water and health services amongst other serious human rights violations.    

The situation:

  1.  Forcible displacement/expulsion:

In the first week of April, around 1500 Ethiopians were forcibly displaced by local Authority in Marib to Bayhan district in Shabwa. On other hand, a group of 170 Somali Refugees was detained in Kaydah area while traveling from Shabwa governorate to Hadramout governorate. Both groups were held for several days under extreme conditions at the former Mayfa’a reception centre in Shabwah.  Along the road to Hadramout, 173 Somalis registered in both governorates of Hadramout and Shabwa: 124 Hadramout (Brom Mayfa`a) and 49 Shabwa (Al-Mjdah Port and Bir Ali),  most of the identified Somalis were holding expired/old version of refugees` IDs cards and some of them had fake refugee IDs. For those, that were interested in moving towards Hadramout, most got arrested and they were not allowed to enter Hadramout because either they were holding an expired IDs, or they were without ID . The rest of the Somalis were refusing the idea of approaching UNHCR and getting refugee status as they said they came to Yemen for transit and they are going to KSA or Oman for work in the Farms. POCs with invalid IDs redirected by INTERSOS lawyer to Extract valid refugee ID card or renew their old one with UNHCR in the Country, referring them to IPNA Mukalla Hadramout. INTERSOS MRT only meets these POCs while they are on the road during their daily patrolling which effecting the information quality provided on the situation. INTERSOS MRT has been referring and communicating to/with UNHCR Mukalla and they facilitate their approach to Mukalla and linking them up with the refugee community in Mukalla. The access to the governorate is closed to the immigrants and refugees, even those with valid documents. The instruction includes the refugees as a recent decision as a result of COVID 19 prevention measures. Refugees have not reported any problems with the authorities or host communities.

Between Sa`ada and Aljawf governorates, high numbers of forced removal/ expulsion from KSA were observed in the border area between Sa’ada and Al-Jawf governorates. Around 10,000 – 15,000 individuals, who are originally from the Horn of Africa crossing the border area. Reports confirming that 15 of them were injured. Most of Ethiopians left to KSA as the Houthis surrounded the group and started to shoot at them, injuring 15 of them. Eritrean and Somalis did not cross and remain in the Valley, they are not authorized to come back inside Sa`ada governorate either go to the hospital.

Moreover, in Aljawf the office of Human Rights reported that 700 migrants have been forcibly displaced from the border of KSA to Marib governorate due to Quarantine Centres incapacity. In Al-Hazm district 200-300 migrants/refugees – most of them Ethiopians with 40 Somalis whose 14 claimed to be registered with UNHCR.

  •  Detention/quarantine in connection with COVID-19:

In Taiz, the local authority in Taiz submitted a letter to OCHA Turbah informing them of the establishment of a quarantine centre in Al Dhabab area, in the vicinity of Taiz City (about 10-15 km south west of the city) and requesting assistance for quarantined individuals and workers. the letter indicated that 5 Somalis held in the centre. The security authority in Taiz detained 11 Ethiopian migrants suspected of infected with COVID 19. 7 of them detained in Khader directorate and 4 in Taiz city. 4 Nigerian have been held in Al-Thawra police department in Taiz, suspected of infected with COVID 19. The 4 Nigerians do not speak Arabic or English. The TV channel and website report about events taking place this past week and says that the arrival of the 7 migrants/refugees to the centre of Al-Shamayateen. The route of migrants and potential PoCs   starts at the west coast of Taiz, and goes through Al-Waziaya district, then Bani Omar area and Al-Tourbah of Al-Shamayateen district, then Same’a district, then Al-Dimenah area until arriving at the DFA controlled areas of Taiz. 7 individuals most likely migrants and asylum seekers ” arrived in the Centre of Al-Shamayateen district and indicated that the residents of Bani Omar area complained about the flow of “African refugees who keep passing day and night”. senior military officials have government’s instructions to stop the flow of refugees from the horn of Africa. Lately, the 4th infantry brigade, located between Tor Al Baha (Lahj) and Al Turbah (Taiz)) will close the entrance to Taiz for one week because of COVID-19 confirmed positive cases. They will allow only food and relief materials to pass.
this is the only road which connect Taiz governorate (IRG areas) with the other governorates.

In North, following reports from INTERSOS lawyer that 20 foreigners from Quhaza to IPNA, and they were transferred to South in addition to last group showed including 40 from Qahaza and 40 who were detained in IPNA Sana’a were transferred from IPNA Sana’a towards south with total of 100 foreigners. According to INTERSOS lawyer groups of immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers have been sent from North to South in unofficial way since IPNA Sanaa taking the detainees from their custody to the border with South and push them toward the other side of the border ,where  they are walking along the road that leads from Al-Qabaitah (North) to Torah al-Bahah (South), the eastern direction, then to Khabt al-Regaa and finally to Lahij and Aden governorates . 

On another potential route, there are no reports regarding a group of immigrants newly arrived, but they may enter Aden individually, so nobody notices them as some migrants refugees and asylum seekers have showed in Al-Dhalea, the INTERSOS lawyer  confirmed that groups of immigrants have been noticed at the market of the Al-Dhalea city.

Reading and analysing the situation:

According to the reports integrated in the MM tracking sheet, refugees and asylum seekers continue to reach the shores of Yemen as part of mixed movements facilitated by smugglers. Currently, most of the new arrivals land in Shabwa and seek their way up to reach the KSA borders. several reports indicated that boats of migrants and refugees, coming to Bab Al Mandab and the Red Sea cost, are being prevented from arriving in Yemen due to fear of COVID-19 frighten.  

The situation has been developed following the decision No. 85 of 2020 by the Governor of Shabwa governorate indicated that the security and protection of the coasts shall consist of military and security crews including the Coast Guard. It will involve preventing smugglers of the Africans from landing them in Shabwa coasts, arresting them and confiscating their boats or cars. The decision took effect immediately upon issuance on 10 April 2020. One of the reasons behind this instruction, according to UNHCR information, is that smugglers lead the migrants through the White mountain in Jardan district instead of Ataq in which they can take the road to Alroeik in Marib avoiding populated cities and villages. 

Groups of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are pushed from one a governorate to another and from south to north vice versa. With the recent developments, starting with announcing the presence of confirmed cases, where seven confirmed cases were recorded with COVID-19 in Hadramout, Aden, and Taiz Governorates. This new update might lead to creating a great tension within crowded Quarantine Centres, adding further limitations on freedom of movement anticipating that cross Governorate movements may be blocked. This phenomenon according to official in the South, is strange and new to them , it has been noticed approximately three weeks ago, they have not noticed those African immigrants before and they do not know where those African groups come from, also, the authority has nothing to do with the passage of immigrants as they pass through the checkpoints by big numbers. Some citizens have said that when they asked some of those immigrants who speak Arabic language, where do they come from, they answered that they came from Sana’a. regarding the nationality it can be figured that most Africans migrants who cannot speak Arabic most likely to be Ethiopians, in addition to the fact that reports from IPNA Sanaa confirming the detention of Ethiopians and Somalis from quarantine centres in Qahaza and referred them to IPNA. By linking the information from IPNA in Sanaa with the information from officials in South areas it can be clear that migrants, refugees and asylum seekers have been pushed from North to South.

Both In north and south, these groups are displaced forcefully and being permanently on the move from one to the other governorate as local authorities have no capacity to respond to their needs especially in the absence of sufficient quarantine facilities especially in Sa’ada and Al Jawf as well as Shabwah and Hadramout where there is no quarantine sites for the moment  but new arrivals were been held for several days under extreme conditions at the former Mayfa’a reception center or restricting them from entering Hadramout or thrusting them toward Marib.  

On 13 April 2020, “The Ministry of Interior spokesman (of the DFA) stated that Yemen is targeted by Saudi Arabia through deporting large numbers of Africans to it, to spread the Corona epidemic, indicating that the Ministry of Interior is looking into closing the entry ports permanently. The spokesman emphasized that the Ministry of Interior had deployed 115 security check points to counter smuggling. He announced the readiness of the security services in all their formations to secure the society, preserve public tranquillity, and protect coasts and entry points. He indicated that in order to secure the society and limit the smuggling of expatriates, the Ministry of Interior, allocated the free number (8001888) of the Security Room in Command and Control to report any cases of smuggling.” 

In addition to that,  The Ministry of Interior (MoI) keep re-announcing  warnings through the local news, calling on “all citizens to contribute to curbing the flow of illegal immigrants to our country… by reporting on their whereabouts and the corridors they travel to, given security, economic, social and health risks they pose to the community”. The MoI also warned citizens against smuggling, harbouring, employing or using illegal immigrants.

Moreover, access to asylum procedures is affected in both the North and the South. In the North, there is no ongoing registration activity, and in the South, refugees and asylum seekers who do not live within the areas around the four registration centres located in Aden and Mukalla, face challenges in reaching asylum procedures due to the restriction of movements/travel.  

Needless to mention the impact on the right to liberty considering the increased arbitrary detention and quarantines that are not in line with health necessities. Also, PoCs access to basic needs is restricted as they are not allowed entry into cities. vulnerable individuals among the groups are subject to all kind of exploitation and trafficking given the heightened vulnerabilities. increased stigmatization against refugees and migrants as being COVID-19 threat, which might lead to risks against refugees from the authorities or the local communities. The government in Yemen deals with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants as one group, without consideration of the legal implications on asylum seekers and refugees.  

Response plan and recommendation:

This situation where groups of people including PoCs being pushed from place to another, with needs offood, water and health services, and subject of human rights violations must be addressed by taking actions under UNHCR mandate and under the mandate of other human rights actors.

  1. the conditions for refugees and asylum seekers, and evidence-based advocacy can take place to intervene on behalf of persons of concern to protect their rights.