Dozens of irregular African migrants landed on the shores of Shabwa governorate in southeastern Yemen, in what authorities described as a new wave of unlawful entry into the country.
Security sources, citing Shabwa police, said that 180 African migrants arrived on Sunday on the coast of the governorate.
Police officials reported that the migrants reached Al Ain coast in Rudum district aboard a smuggling vessel named Al Jazeera, operated by a crew of four Somali sailors.
Authorities confirmed that all the migrants originated from the Horn of Africa and hold Ethiopian nationality.
The police stressed that security forces are “taking all possible measures to address the influx and infiltration of Africans into the governorate, in order to safeguard security and stability and prevent the negative repercussions and security risks posed by irregular migration waves.”
Meanwhile, latest data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) showed that 17,659 migrants entered Yemen during last November compared with 17,685 in October.
According to the IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix, Djibouti remained the primary departure point, accounting for 67 percent of migrant arrivals, followed by Somalia with 31 percent and Oman with 2 percent.
Despite deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions, Yemen continues to serve as a key transit route for thousands of African migrants attempting to reach Gulf countries, many of whom face severe hardship and exploitation at the hands of smuggling networks.
The IOM estimates that more than 60,000 migrants entered Yemen in 2024, highlighting the persistent scale of irregular migration through the country.