A deadly tragedy unfolded off the coast of Djibouti after smugglers forced dozens of migrants into open waters, leaving at least eight dead and 22 others missing.
The group had been packed aboard a vessel carrying 150 people when the smugglers made them disembark and swim to shore on June 5, according to the U.N. migration agency.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Wednesday that its patrol teams discovered survivors stranded in the desert and transported them to a nearby migrant response center. The search for the missing continues in collaboration with Djiboutian authorities.
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“Every life lost at sea is a tragedy that should never happen,” said Celestine Frantz, IOM Regional Director for the East, Horn and Southern Africa. She condemned the smugglers’ cruelty, saying the victims were “forced into impossible choices by smugglers who show no regard for human life.”
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The dangerous journey across the Red Sea remains a well-trodden path for migrants from Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, many of whom are desperate to reach the Gulf and ultimately Europe. Yemen continues to serve as a major transit hub for those leaving East Africa and the Horn of Africa in pursuit of work opportunities abroad.
Despite the known dangers, thousands attempt the route each year, often at the mercy of smugglers who exploit their vulnerability.
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