Yemen’s situation from IOM UN migration:
- In the first five months of 2022, over 27,800 people have
crossed from the Horn of Africa to war-torn Yemen. This
surpasses the total number of migrants who made the journey
in the entire previous year.
Factors Contributing to the rise in arrivals:
- include a potential loosening of COVID-19 mobility
restrictions,
- more favorable weather conditions,
- security issues and drought in Ethiopia, the primary
origin of migrants.
Issues:
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that there’s
an increase concern, especially considering Yemen is currently in its
eighth year of conflict:
1. Migrants arriving in Yemen face dangerous onward journeys to
Gulf countries in search of work, crossing conflict frontlines
and encountering human rights violations such as detention,
exploitation, and forced transfers.
- Women and girls often experience gender-based violence,
abuse, or exploitation, typically at the hands of traffickers and
smugglers.
- In the north of Yemen, over 1,000 migrants, including women
and children, have been reported injured or killed in attacks this
year. Many are treated for gunshot wounds at an
IOM-supported hospital near the border town of Sa’dah.
Solutions
1. Ensure that all migrants have proof of legal identity and adequate
documentation:
Uphold everyone's right to a legal identity by providing citizens with
proof of nationality and necessary documentation allows authorities to
verify a migrant's legal identity during entry, stay, and return, ensuring
smooth migration processes, better service, and enhanced public
safety.
Taking suitable measures to ensure migrants receive proper
documentation, including birth, marriage, and death certificates, at all
stages of migration. This aims to empower migrants in exercising their
human rights effectively.
a) Enhance civil registry systems, especially to address the
needs of unregistered individuals and our citizens living abroad.
This includes issuing necessary identity and civil registry
documents, building capabilities, and investing in technology
solutions. Privacy rights and personal data protection will be
maintained:
- Aim to address the needs of our nationals residing in other
countries. To achieve this, we will provide relevant identity and
civil registry documents, facilitating the proper documentation
of all individuals.
A real-life example of improving civil registry systems with a focus on
reaching unregistered individuals and nationals abroad is the Aadhaar
program in India. India's Aadhaar program aimed to give a unique
- Approximately 4,500 migrants are stranded in Ma’rib, unable to
continue their journey onward or return.
- Despite over 900 migrants departing on Voluntary
Humanitarian Return (VHR) flights from Aden in May, more
funding is needed to assist thousands of others waiting to
leave from Aden, Sana’a, and Ma’rib.
- IOM emphasizes the importance of opening more opportunities
for migrants to voluntarily return home and providing life-saving
assistance and medical aid to those in need.
- IOM is appealing for USD 7.5 million to support stranded
migrants in Yemen to return to Ethiopia through the VHR
program. An additional USD 9 million is needed to continue
displacement and mobility tracking activities.
- Funding for the Yemen response is reportedly on the decline,
and IOM urges greater financial support to alleviate the
suffering of over 190,000 migrants in need of assistance in
Yemen.
- IOM’s humanitarian assistance and protection services for
migrants in Yemen receive support from various entities,
including the US State Department’s Bureau of Population,
Refugees, and Migration, EU Humanitarian Aid, and the
governments of Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.
● Reaching Unregistered Persons: The importance of identifying
and registering individuals who currently lack official
documentation. (e.g. implementing outreach programs and
awareness campaigns to bring unregistered persons into the
civil registry system).
● Assisting Nationals Abroad: Recognize the challenges faced
by citizens residing abroad by extending civil registry services
to them through establishment of consular
services/collaborating with international partners to ensure
the proper documentation of nationals abroad
● Strengthening Capacities: Recognizing the evolving nature of
civil registry systems, we commit to building and enhancing the
capacities of relevant authorities. This includes training
personnel, adopting modern technologies, and streamlining
processes to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of civil
registration.
● Investing in Technology Solutions: Modernize and streamline
civil registry processes by investing in ICT solutions. This may
include digital platforms for registration, secure databases,
and other technological advancements aimed at improving the
overall functionality of civil registry systems.
1. Reaching Unregistered People: The program actively targeted
populations without official identification by setting up mobile centers
and enrollment centers were set up in rural areas to ensure that
individuals who were previously unregistered could be included in the
civil registry.
identification number to every resident. It focused on including people
who didn't have official IDs and those living in different areas:
2. Assisting People Abroad: They also helped Indians living in other
countries by opening enrollment centers in embassies and consulates
to cater to the documentation needs of nationals residing in other
countries.
b)
Standardizing travel documents with the guidelines set forth by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Many countries now use ePassports as a real-life example of making
travel documents more secure. These passports have a special chip
with features like fingerprints or facial recognition, following
international standards set by organizations like ICAO.
What they Do:
● Adding Extra Security: The chip in ePassports adds extra
security by storing biometric data, making it harder for
someone to use a fake passport
○ While not impossible, replicating biometric data
requires advanced technology and sophistication
because it’s hard because each person's biometrics
are unique (e.g. fingerprints, facial patterns).
○ Biometric traits can change over time, and many
systems use live detection measures to ensure that
the presented biometric data is from a living person.
This helps prevent the use of static images or
replicas.
○ The stored biometric data is usually encrypted and
well-protected, protecting against unauthorized
access, data breaches, and any potential misuse of
sensitive information contained in travel documents.
● Follows Int. Standards and global recognition: Countries that
use ePassports follow global standards set by ICAO. This
makes it easier for different countries to distinguish the fake
and real ones and accept these passports.
3. Strengthen capacities: They have extensive training programs for
enrollment operators and government officials to make sure the
registration process works well.
4. Using Technology: Aadhaar used modern tech like biometrics and
secure databases , and online verification processes to improve the
civil registry system. While ensuring to respect privacy and protect
personal data.
● Using Digital Technology: The adoption of ePassports involves
leveraging digital technology to enhance document security.
Information stored on the passport's microchip is securely
transmitted during border crossings, contributing to efficient
and secure international travel.
● Keeping things private Sharing Biometric Data: Countries,
including the US and Germany, have established agreements
for sharing biometric data among trusted partners. This
collaborative approach allows for more efficient verification of
travelers' identities using shared biometric information and not
for anything else.
● Faster and Safer Crossings: Digital technology makes border
crossings quicker and more secure.
The switch to ePassports shows how countries can make travel
documents standard, use digital tech, and fight identity fraud—all while
keeping privacy and personal data protection in mind.
Let's use specific country examples to illustrate the implementation of
ePassports:In recent years, both the United States and Germany have
successfully transitioned to using ePassports, demonstrating a
practical example of efforts to standardize travel documents, invest in
digitalization, and combat identity fraud while prioritizing privacy.