Somalia: refugee and migrant journeys to Yemen and the Gulf
Decision-making, experiences, and aspirations
The Eastern Route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and the Gulf remains one of the world’s busiest mixed movement routes and Somalia occupies a key position along it.
This infographic, produced with UNHCR, examines the journeys of almost 700 refugees and migrants moving through Somalia. 57% of respondents were reinterviewed six months after the initial baseline interview to understand how their journeys evolved. The data provides longitudinal insights into how refugees’ and migrants’ journeys, and exposure to abuse and hardship, evolve along the Eastern Route.
Exposure to protection risks was prevalent along the journey and continued while immobile in Somalia. Some 59% of respondents at baseline had experienced one or more protection incidents along the journey. Exposure did not increase considerably six months later (61%), however slightly more respondents experienced multiple incidents. The most cited abuse at baseline and follow-up was physical violence (47% and 35%, respectively). While the data are limited and should be treated with caution, the nine respondents who had moved onwards to the Gulf reported very high exposure to multiple abuses and harm.
Refugee status appears to reduce intentions for onward movement. Of the 61 respondents who changed their intended destination, 25 (41%) had recently obtained refugee status. Among them, 10 chose to remain in Somalia, while the remainder indicated they would only pursue legal pathways. Notably, all respondents who had obtained refugee status (25) intended to settle permanently in their chosen destination, suggesting that access to international protection can significantly influence movement intentions and reduce the desire for onward movement.
Women reported higher overall needs, indicating higher vulnerability. Among respondents interviewed at baseline, women reported higher needs across all assistance categories except cash, highlighting the disproportionate and higher vulnerability among women on the move. It also reflects the dangerous and at times volatile conditions women encounter along the route, where exposure to abuse and harm is frequent.
Local communities are the primary source of assistance cited by 72% of respondents who had received assistance at baseline and 86% at follow-up. Formal humanitarian actors, including NGOs (15% at baseline and 16% at follow-up) and UN agencies (5% and 8%), were cited as sources of assistance by a fraction of respondents, pointing to a possible humanitarian access gap along the route.
There was a 57% call-back success rate, 339 refugees and migrants were re-interviewed out of 597 interviewed for the baseline who consented to a follow-up survey.
From follow-up interviews with 339 refugees and migrants 6 month later. 84% had not moved from their initial location in Somalia at baseline.
Despite widespread immobility, 68% still aspired to move onward.
Exposure to protection risks was prevalent along the journey and continued while immobile in Somalia.
Background
Somalia occupies a key position along the Eastern Route. In 2025, 53,000 refugees and migrants departed from the coast of Bossaso. Somalia is also an important host country for refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa. As of May 2026, UNHCR recorded 32,710 refugees and asylum seekers in the country.
The maritime crossing to the Arabian Peninsula is one of the deadliest stages of the journey. In 2025, 992 deaths and disappearances were recorded along the Eastern Route, almost double the 558 reported in 2024.
Efforts to curb irregular movements, including arrests of smugglers, deportation of migrants, and increased coast guard activity, have made mixed movements through Somalia riskier, translating into higher smuggler fees and greater dangers for those attempting.
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