Shabwah Seeks Solutions to African Migrant Crisis, Calls for Urgent International Support
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The local authority in Yemen’s Shabwah governorate, headed by Secretary-General of the Local Council Abdrabah Hashlah, held an emergency meeting to discuss the security and social challenges resulting from the increasing number of illegal African migrants in the governorate, particularly in the city of Ataq.
During the meeting, officials reviewed the issues associated with the presence of migrants, including pressure on basic services, rising crime rates, and growing complaints from residents, especially in the outskirts of Ataq.
The local authority approved several measures to address the crisis, including a ban on renting housing to African migrants in Ataq in response to calls from residents who asserted that the migrants’ presence poses a threat to public safety following repeated criminal incidents in areas where they reside.
Authorities also decided to require real estate offices and tenants not to rent or shelter illegal migrants and to halt the issuance of licenses for shops and restaurants run or staffed by undocumented migrants. Non-compliant establishments will be shut down, and legal action will be taken against violators.
The local authority issued an official memorandum to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Affairs, requesting regional and international support for the local stance.
The authority also called on international organizations and agencies concerned with migration to fulfill their humanitarian and legal responsibilities by supporting efforts to regulate migrant flows and provide safe shelter that ensures the security and stability of the governorate as well as the safety of the migrants.
In a related context, Shabwah’s police, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), continue a campaign to relocate illegal migrants from the city of Ataq.
Lieutenant Khamees Hussein Mohammed, head of the Morality Police in the governorate, stated that the campaign is actively relocating migrants from the crossing and settlement areas to the Ma’as Road east of Ataq. He noted that about 90% of the migrants have been relocated so far, with the remaining operations expected to be completed within the next two days.
These measures come amid a continued influx of African migrants to Shabwah’s coast, which has been the main entry point for nearly nine months, according to IOM reports. The governorate faces significant challenges in addressing this phenomenon, necessitating urgent international support to help contain it.
