Security Campaign in Shabwa to Relocate Thousands of African Migrants from the Provincial Capital
Yemen Monitor/Shabwa/Exclusive:
The local authorities in Shabwa governorate (southeastern Yemen) have carried out an intensive field security campaign to expel African migrants from the city of Ataq, the provincial capital, and relocate them to an alternative camp in the As-Saeed district.
A local source told “Yemen Monitor” that the security campaign is part of measures taken by the local authority since the beginning of this year to prevent migrants from gathering in Ataq, the provincial capital, having earlier started by preventing their entry into the city.
The source stated that these measures aim to address what has become a “security concern” and the problems resulting from the random dispersal of migrants. Citizens complain about the increasing numbers of migrants, who are sometimes accused of drug trafficking and security violations.
The source indicated that the local authority prepared an alternative camp for migrants residing in the Maas camp located on the outskirts of Ataq city and has relocated them to the Rafad area in the As-Saeed district. The source confirmed that the detention and deportation operations also include migrants arriving via the coast of Radoum district.
The coasts of Bir Ali and Radoum in Shabwa are a main arrival point for migrants coming from Horn of Africa countries and have recently witnessed a large influx of illegal migrants.
The International Organization for Migration had previously announced the registration of 60,000 migrants in Yemen, most of whom are from Ethiopia.
