YEMEN-HORN OF AFRICA: African arrivals in 2009 up 55 percent

The biggest change over 2008, he said, was that the number of Ethiopians making the perilous boat journey across the Gulf of Aden more than doubled to 44,814, while 32,988 Somalis reached Yemen‘s shores.

"There are various push factors behind the increasing number of Ethiopians, such as conflict, famine, drought and lack of job opportunities," Nuri said.

He added that the global financial crisis and subsequent rise in commodity prices "also played a role in pushing more people to leave their countries in search of better opportunities".

Over 700,000 immigrants

There are more than 700,000 African immigrants in Yemen, the majority of whom are Somalis, deputy foreign minister Ali Muthan told a symposium in Sanaa on 12 January at the launch of a new initiative entitled ‘Supporting Yemeni Government and Civil Society to Meet Migration Challenges’.

He said that "out of the total number of African immigrants in Yemen, only 200,000 have refugee status".

"The government has made tireless efforts to reduce the influx of Africans into its territory through contributing to enhancing stability and security in Somaliland," Muthan said.

According to UNHCR, all Somalis arriving in Yemen are granted prima facie refugee status while non-Somalis wanting to claim asylum are required to apply at a UNHCR office.

Source: Africa Daily