Follow-ups to the news of the free homeland<\/p>\n
Okeil: Migrants in Yemen have been subjected to a wide range of violations at the hands of the Houthis<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Sherif Abdul-Hamid: The Houthis do not treat immigrants as human beings, and their repudiation of responsibility entails heavy consequences on the lives of millions<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights<\/span><\/strong> issued a new report entitled “As If They Are Not Humans… Recurrent Violations against Migrants in Yemen<\/strong>“, which monitors the tragic conditions experienced by migrants in Yemen, especially in light of the conflict that is entering its seventh year in a row. The report revealed that the number of migrants has doubled between 2000 and 2020, from 17 million to 34 million, a<\/span>nd that most of these migrants have fled their homes either to escape armed conflicts, which is particularly rampant in the Middle East, prosecution, violence, human rights violations or to seek better living conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n The report has also indicated the presence of nearly 41,000 immigrants in Yemen, the majority of whom are of Ethiopian, Somali and Eritrean nationalities. Besides, the number of immigrants arriving in Yemen has reportedly decreased due to the Coronavirus pandemic, as it had reached 138 thousand immigrants in 2019. In the Middle East, Yemen is considered the main transit country for migrants, especially the African ones from the Horn of Africa, due to the proximity of their country of origin to Yemen\u2019s coasts. Besides, Yemen is their gate to the Gulf or European states. Those migrants often arrive on large boats and sometimes they use smuggling boats in exchange for $500 for every migrant.<\/span><\/p>\n The report stated that all parties in Yemen have committed violations against migrants, including the Houthi group, whether in Sana\u2019a or other governorates under its control in northern Yemen. Migrnats find themselves caught between<\/span> a rock and a hard place; either to be recruited as Houthi fighters or to be forcibly deported to southern governorates under the internationally recognized Yemeni government. Perpetrators of violations against migrants in Yemen are rarely held accountable even if their violations were mounted to crimes against humanity. The latest of these crimes was committed in March 2021 when the migrants\u2019 facility of the Immigration, Passport and Naturalization Authority in Sanna was burned down. Fire has reportedly broken out after some Houthi fighters and guards fired smoke bombs on the facility.<\/span><\/p>\n In this context, Ayman Okeil, president of Maat, stated that this report aims to draw attention to the systematic violations and abuses against migrants in Yemen, especially extrajudicial killings, deprivation of humanitarian aid, the rise in hate speech and discrimination against migrants, and the forced deportation of migrants, among other practices that amount to torture. Okeil added that migrants in Yemen were exposed to a wide range of risks that conflict with the protection guaranteed to them under international law, international refugee law and other international norms, especially by the Houthi militia, which commits various violations against migrants that amount to crimes against humanity. For example, in March, the security forces of the Houthi militia fired projectiles or bombs at a detention center for immigrants affiliated with Sana\u2019a\u2019s Department of Immigration and Nationality, which caused a fire in the centre, leading to the death of more than 65 immigrants, most of them of Ethiopian nationality, and the injury of more than 200 others, including cases in critical condition.<\/span><\/p>\n