On October 1, two boats were involved in a tragic incident that left at least 48 people dead and 75 missing when smugglers forced passengers into the sea off Djibouti’s coast. The victims were primarily Ethiopian migrants, many of whom were returning from Yemen, hoping for a safer path to opportunity. Survivors recounted harrowing experiences of being pushed into the water in the dead of night, left to navigate the sea in darkness without swimming skills or direction.
Amy Pope, Director-General of the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), emphasized the gravity of the situation during a regional review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration held in Ethiopia. She highlighted that more lives are being lost on the eastern migration route than any other in the world, despite the lack of widespread media coverage. The tragedy reflects the deep-rooted challenges facing migrants, including poverty, conflict, and climate change, which continue to drive migration out of necessity rather than choice.
Pope stressed that the international community must create safe and regular migration routes to reduce the risks faced by migrants. She pointed out that many people, whether seeking work in low-skilled or higher-skilled sectors, should not be forced into the arms of smugglers and traffickers. “There should be no reason for people to have to move through a smuggler, through a trafficker, a route that will subject them to exploitation and often abuse,” Pope said, underscoring the urgent need for systemic reform.
Frantz Celestin, IOM regional director for East, Horn, and Southern Africa, revealed the grim details of the recent Djibouti incident. Two boats, operated by smugglers, were carrying nearly 320 migrants returning from Yemen. In both cases, smugglers forced the passengers into the water before reaching the shore, resulting in chaos and death for many. The survivors recounted the terror of being thrown into the sea, with one saying, “We are peaceful people who want to work and help our families back home.”
The root causes of migration, Pope explained, are multifaceted, ranging from conflicts like the ongoing war in Sudan to economic challenges and climate shocks. “The drivers of migration are really complex; some of it is about peace… in other cases, it’s the impact of poverty and the lack of economic opportunity for people at home,” she said. Without addressing these underlying issues, migration will continue, driven by desperation rather than choice. Pope called for international cooperation to tackle these root causes, noting that development, governance, and climate change mitigation must be central to any long-term solutions.
Climate change, in particular, is emerging as a critical factor in migration patterns. As rising temperatures, droughts, and natural disasters displace more people, governments must take greater responsibility in both reducing their climate impact and assisting those already forced to move.
Ensuring safe migration pathways will require global collaboration, with governments working together to protect those most vulnerable to exploitation. The IOM is urging countries to provide migrants with the information and resources they need to avoid dangerous, illegal routes and to access legal channels for migration. This includes helping migrants make informed decisions about their journeys and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place for safe, orderly, and regular migration.
As the eastern migration route continues to claim lives, the international community faces a moral imperative to act. Safe migration is not only a humanitarian necessity but also a matter of global security and economic stability. For the thousands of migrants seeking better lives across the seas, time is running out.
