Migration along the perilous Eastern Route from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula has surged in 2025, despite worsening dangers and a growing number of deaths.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 238,000 migrants undertook the journey between January and June, a 34 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
At least 348 people have died or gone missing, many succumbing to Djibouti’s scorching Obock desert, drowning at sea, or falling victim to violent smugglers.
Women and girls face heightened risks, with female migration through Djibouti more than doubling this year.
Meanwhile, over 55,000 Ethiopians have been forcibly returned from Saudi Arabia to crisis-hit regions such as Amhara, Tigray, and Oromia, where humanitarian conditions remain dire.
Aid groups warn that migrants are trapped between “danger abroad and despair at home,” as crackdowns and seasonal slowdowns, including Ramadan, have only briefly tempered the flow.
The IOM cautions that if the current trend continues, 2025 could surpass last year’s record migration levels on the Eastern Route.
