Yemen captures 38 African immigrants

HODEIDAH, Aug. 07 (Saba)- Security services
have captured in Hodeidah province 37 Africans charged of illegal entry into Yemen.
According to security sources, the arrested Africans included 20 Sudanese, 13
Nigerians and three Somalis.

The sources said that the investigation had revealed
that they
have slipped to Yemen in order to enter into Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, 58 Somali refugees, including 28 women, have reached Taiz province's
coast. Security forces have sent them to the Kharaz refugee camp located in Lahj
province,
southern Yemen.
The ongoing fighting in Somalia is pushing thousands of Somali civilians to risk
their lives to cross the Gulf of Aden and seek asylum in Yemen.
In 2008, more than 50,000 new arrivals reached Yemen's shores - a 70 percent
increase from 2007. The trend has continued during the first six months of 2009
with around
30,000 new arrivals - the total for the whole of 2007. It's a dangerous journey.
More than 1,000 drowned en route in 2008 as they were thrown overboard or forced to
disembark too far from the shore by unscrupulous smugglers. So far this year,
almost
300 have died or gone missing.
The smuggling phenomenon places increasing strain on Yemen's limited resources and
poses more challenges to the Government's efforts to balance its obligations under
international
law with the need to protect the country from illegal entry.
Yemen recognizes Somalis as refugees on a prima facie basis. Somali refugees are
given the option of shelter at the Kharaz refugee camp.
There are some 13,000 mainly Somali refugees living in the camp which is fully
serviced by UNHCR in co-operation with other UN agencies as well as local and
international
NGOs. In addition to the camp population, there are tens of thousands of refugees
who have opted to stay in urban areas around the country.
YA