Migrant smuggling: paths from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Saudi Arabia

This report tries to fill in the gaps to better understand the smuggling networks facilitating irregular migration.

This report examines the smuggling networks facilitating irregular migration from the Horn of Africa to countries in the Arabian Peninsula, also referred to as the Gulf. In addition to analysing the structure and modus operandi of migrant smuggling networks, the author considers the extent to which these networks are involved in other forms of organised criminal activity, such as arms and narcotics trafficking. The report concludes with recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders operating in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

About the author

Peter Tinti is an independent journalist focusing on conflict, human rights and organised crime. Tinti has written and contributed to several reports on organised crime in the Sahel, narcotics trafficking in Mali, and migrant smuggling networks in Africa, Asia and Europe. Tinti’s writing and photography have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, and Vice, among other outlets. He is also the co-author, along with Tuesday Reitano, of Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Saviour (Hurst, 2016), a book on the migrant smuggling industry behind Europe’s migration crisis.

Picture: Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime