Yemen — Flow Monitoring Points | Migrant Arrivals and Yemeni Returns in September 2020

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) monitors key migrant arrival and Yemeni return locations on Yemen's northern border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and southern coastal border. Enumerators placed at Flow Monitoring Points (FMPs) record arrivals of migrants and Yemeni nationals' returns in order to identify different patterns and types of migration, including quantitative estimates to help define the population of irregular migrants entering the country. Access constraints limit the ability to collect data at some migrant arrival points. IOM estimates that 617 migrants entered Yemen in addition to 478 Yemeni returns from KSA during September 2020.  Since beginning of 2020 till 30 September 2020, 33,122 individual migrants arrived in Yemen, and 13,895 Yemenis returns from KSA while another 266 Yemenis returns from Horn of Africa. The migration has witnessed a significant decline since the emergence of the Corona virus pandemic.

The migrant caseload has been primarily Ethiopian (93%) and Somalis (7%), with 40% of those tracked heading for Saudi Arabia and 60% towards Yemen. The migrants are predominantly male (83%), with 13% women and 3% boys and 1% girls also among the travellers.

Through the September 2020 reporting period, the highest arrivals were observed at Shabwah governorate with 452 migrants entering at Eyn Bamabad monitoring point.

METHODOLOGY:

DTM’s global flow monitoring methodology aims to identify areas prone to internal, cross-border and regional migration. Mobility area assessments are conducted at the national level. DTM teams then collect information at the local level to identify key transit points. Enumerators collect data from key informants at the flow monitoring points: key informants may be transport staff, custom officers, boat operators or migrants themselves. Data is collected through a basic form combined with direct observations –enabling breakdowns.

LIMITATIONS:

 Data collected for these exercises should be understood as estimations only. They represent only part of the total flows passing through Yemen. The spatial and temporal coverage of this data collection activity is therefore incomplete. In addition, although data is collected daily, it is collected only during peak hours. The portion of the flows that occur during the uncovered hours is not represented. Data on vulnerability is based on direct observation and should be understood as mainly indicative.

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