With current political stale mate and violence at its highest in Mogadishu, many Somalis are taking huge risks fleeing across sea to Yemen in search hope and normality.

Mogadishu, (insidesomalia.org) - In an alarming stage the number of the Somali would-be immigrants to Yemen is increasing despite new campaigns to deter hazardous journey from international Agencies.

80 to 120 would-be immigrants abscond daily from Mogadishu to Bosaso, a town considered to be a start of long and up predictable journey, said reports from Banadir Transportation Committee.

“These people who come to Elasha passenger bus terminal include children, women, young men and women” said Mohamed Ali Haji, a bus coordinator at Elasha, 18 km South west of Mogadishu and a temporary bus terminal.

The bus fare to Bosaso rose from 30USD before the fighting broke out in Mogadishu and now up to more than 50USD

“Despite sixty per cent increase and purchase powering, it is difficult to get a seat and there is overflow people” said Mohamed Isse told insidesomalia.org, a driver whose mini bus shuttles between Mogadishu and Bosaso.

“It is difficult living in a violent desolated capital city of Mogadishu” said Abdullahi Ali Ahmed, 25 years old student waiting a bus anticipated for Bosaso on Sunday.

Abdullahi and many others attempt to seek for better life in countries in the Gulf including Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. It might seem odd, but lack of hope and being close to death forces young people to make difficult decision where similar young person in US or Japan might contemplate.

Fighting which claims the lives of more than 300 people in past three months and caused more than one million people flee from Mogadishu after a year of escalating violence between government forces backed by Ethiopian army against Insurgents.

The new influx of the would-be immigrants coincides with International Organization for Migration says that more than 1,221 have died so far this year trying to make dangerous hazardous sea crossing from Bosaso to Yemen.

IOM spokeswomen, Jemini Pady , says it is conducting a series of activities in Puntland , which it hopes will reduce the annual loss of lives among people resorting to smuggling networks to transport them to Yemen.

She says staff members will conduct so-called outreach mission in Garowe in Puntland.

She notes most migrants coming from the capital Mogadishu stop off there on their way to Bosaso. She says similar missions will be conducted in Burao in Somaliland, the main transit point from Ethiopia.

Also, IOM staff will be providing information to the migrants and asylum seekers on the dangers of the situation on their journey ain addition to advocating for their rights and better protection among local authorities , said Pandy.

IOM says it is starting a new outreach and information campaign to deter Somalis and Ethiopian migrants from making the dangerous journey to Yemen across the Gulf of Aden in smugglers boats.

These dangerous journeys began early 1990’s with people from southern Somalia fleeing from instability in the south. Later increased 2002- 2007 becoming a fully-fledged business.

The United Nations Refugee Agency recently confirmed that smugglers were taking new and more hazardous sea routes to Yemen as a result of increased security patrols along the Yemeni coast.

When rearing the coast, smugglers often force people to jump off and to swim to shore so that the smugglers can escape not to be arrested or shot at by Yemeni coastguards, a Somali community leader in Yemen said.

In January 2007, about 1,700 Somali migrants arrived in Yemen, mainly at Aden, Hadramout and Bir Ali.

Somalis reaching Yemen get automatic refugee status. There are currently more than 88,000 registered refugees in Yemen, of whom 84,000 are Somalis.

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