Trafficked through Somalia
An Ethiopian migrant walks on the 158 km road that connects Hargeisa to Berbera
Three Ethiopian migrant rest by the side of the road that connects Hargeisa to Berbera, Somaliland. June 2023.
A view from the top of the Sheikh Pass in Somaliland, where migrants intending to reach Bosaso must navigate deserts and mountainous terrain while traveling. Road from Berbera to Burao. July 2021.
On the right, Naseer, 21, stands alongside his nephew Abash, 18. Originally from Arsi, Ethiopia, they are en route to Garowe to find for job opportunities. Hargeisa - Berbera road. June 2023.
Abdetah, 15, walks the road that connects Hargeisa to Berbera, in Somaliland. "There was no peace where I come from, I was more scare of staying than leaving," he said he is determined to reach Saudi Arabia. June 2023.
Hargeisa is a main stop for those travelling along the Eastern Route. The city receives large numbers of migrants, particularly Ethiopian women employed as domestic workers. July 2021.
Letish sits for a portrait in Hargeisa, where she sought refuge after fleeing the Tigray region of Ethiopia. After losing everything to conflict, she now faces daily struggles for survival while hoping to return home. June 2023.
Migrants traveling the Eastern Route traverse vast, desolate landscapes, where many perish from dehydration. Data collection is nearly impossible due to the absence of rescue missions or formal authorities controlling some of the areas.
Mohamed, 26, shows the sandals he's been wearing since he left his home in Abdetah, Ethiopia, over five days ago. Hargeisa - Burao road. June 2023.
Migrants traveling the Eastern Route traverse vast, desolate landscapes, where many perish from dehydration. Data collection is nearly impossible due to the absence of rescue missions or formal authorities controlling some of the areas.
Ethiopian migrants rest outside a smuggler house in Bossaso. Harsh sandstorms and extreme weather are frequent in this region, leading to dire living conditions. June 2023
A shelter run by human traffickers in Bossaso, Somalia. Migrants from Ethiopia usually stay for a few days waiting for smugglers to take them on a dangerous boat journey to Yemen. June 2023
Words in Amharic, written by a migrant on the wall inside one of Bossaso's human trafficker shelters: "Dear people, don't expect your happiness from humans, expect it from God." June 2023
The entrance of a human trafficker shelter in Bossaso, Somalia. Migrants from Ethiopia usually stay for a few days waiting for smugglers to take them on a dangerous boat journey to Yemen. June 2023
In a shelter run by human traffickers located in the city of Bossaso, situated on the northern shores of Somalia, a group of young Ethiopian migrant women and girls huddle together. June 2023
A migrant girl rests during the morning hours in a human trafficker-run shelter in Bossaso, Somalia. June 2023
Flower decorations, put up by a group of migrant girls, hang on the wall in a human trafficker-run shelter in Bossaso. June 2023
Two young migrant girls seek comfort from the extreme heat inside a human trafficker-run shelter in Bossaso. June 2023
Group of Ethiopian migrants rest at a shelter run by human traffickers in Bossaso, waiting for instructions to board the boat to Yemen.
Abandoned clothes left behind by migrants at a shelter run by human traffickers in Bossaso.
"We beat people until they give us their money. If they can't pay theywork for us. We don't regret anything, this is business," said 21 year old Osama, a human trafficker (centre) overseeing migrants in one of the informal sites his group runs in Bossaso. June 2023.
Murakata Abdulkafar and his wife, Musayrira Mohamed, pose for a portrait inside shelter run by human traffickers in Bossaso. After exhausting their savings on their journey, Murakata now works for the traffickers, watching migrants as they transit through the city.
Abandoned shoes left behind by migrants are lying on top of a rooftop in a shelter run by traffickers in Bossaso. June 2023.
Under Bossaso's intense heat, Ethiopian migrants seek relief by escaping to the ocean. As they transit or become stranded in the city, the ocean often serves as their only means of maintaining hygiene due to limited access to sanitation facilities and clean water. June 2023
Under Bossaso's intense heat, Ethiopian migrants seek relief by escaping to the ocean. As they transit or become stranded in the city, the ocean often serves as their only means of maintaining hygiene due to limited access to sanitation facilities and clean water. June 2023
Melka, 17, has been in Bosaso for two months with three friends, waiting for a chance to continue her journey to Dubai in hopes of finding a job and securing a better future abroad. Originally from Hosana, Ethiopia, she paid 50,000 birr ($410) to a smuggler to leave her hometown alone, without her parents' knowledge. September 2022.
Mohammed, 23, has been in Bosaso for a month and a half with three fellow Ethiopians. Originally told they were headed to Jigjiga before flying to Dubai, they were instead taken to Las Anod and then to Bosaso, where his passport was taken by a smuggler.
The Eastern Route
Africa’s Forgotten Migration Route
2022 - Ongoing
Every year thousands of Ethiopians and Somalis embark on a treacherous journey along the Eastern Route - a deadly and overlooked migratory path for those leaving Africa to Saudi Arabia. Migrants brave deserts, the sea, and territories controlled by armed groups in the Horn of Africa, fleeing poverty, conflict, and climate disasters.
With limited access to food, water, or shelter, most migrants undertake the arduous journey on foot, often enduring extreme conditions and exhaustion. They depend on smugglers and traffickers to navigate borders, who, in turn, subject them to brutal violence, exploitation, and even abandonment in remote areas. This thriving underground industry generates an estimated $156 million annually from extortion alone, according to the Mixed Migration Centre.
The Eastern Route is one of the world’s most challenging migratory corridors to document due to security constraints and limited access. This restricted access not only hampers aid efforts but has also allowed unchecked abuses—such as rape, torture, and extortion by militia groups—to proliferate, often with impunity from both local authorities and the international community.
Despite the risks, the Eastern Route has steadily gained popularity in recent years, particularly among youth seeking a better life in Saudi Arabia. Between 2019 - 2023, nearly 276,000 migrants traveled from Somalia and Djibouti to Yemen, a figure closely paralleling the roughly 280,000 migrants who reached Italy from Libya in the same period. While various nationalities converge in Libya for Mediterranean crossings, the vast majority crossing the Gulf of Aden are from Ethiopia or Somalia.
These series of photographs document migrants’ journeys in the north of Somalia between 2022 and 2023.
