Migration Response Centres (MRCs) East and Horn of Africa (1 January – 31 July 2021)

REGIONAL OVERVIEW: JULY 2021

A total of 1,210 migrants were registered at MRCs across the region in July, a 37% increase compared to June and the highest number of registrations recorded so far during this year. This brings the total registrations in 2021 to 5,555 migrants. The largest number of migrants were registered in Metema (336), followed by Bossaso (279), Obock (199), Hargeisa (156), Semera (112), Togochale (76), Moyale (51), and Dire Dawa (1).

More male adults (50%) were registered in July than female adults (32%), while 18% of registrations were children. Child registrations slightly decreased by 8% compared to June, however, female adult registrations tripled between June (128) and July (387). Almost all registered females were Ethiopian nationals (99%), of whom more than half (51%) came from the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ (SNNP) region. A large majority of female adults (90%) were between 18 and 29 years old. While all the children registered at the MRC in Hargeisa and over half of the children registered at the MRC in Metema (57%) were accompanied, all the children registered in Bossaso, Semera and Moyale as well as most children registered in Obock (93%) and Togochale (92%) were unaccompanied.

Almost all registered migrants were Ethiopian nationals (98%), and the majority reported departing from the Oromia (34%), SNNP (25%) and Amhara (14%) regions of Ethiopia. Some migrants were also returning from Yemen, in particular from Aden (9%) and Marib (2%). Half of the migrants (50%) reported that they intended to continue their journey to Saudi Arabia. All migrants registered in Semera were heading to Saudia Arabia. Overall, most migrants reported migrating for economic reasons (75%).

Source: International Organization for Migration