In our safe house located in Bossaso, a port town in northeastern Puntland, we provide critical support to Ethiopian child migrants. Many of these migrants embark on risky journeys across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen and Saudi Arabia in search of economic opportunities. Upon reaching Puntland, when families are unable to provide costs for their onward journey, many children opt to remain in Bossaso. The risks these children face are significant, including exploitation and abuse. Some fall victims to smugglers, while others choose to return to Ethiopia and require repatriation assistance.
To address the needs of these children who opt for voluntary return, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been established between IOM and UNICEF. This MOU facilitates the referral of migrants seeking voluntary return to safe shelters operated by TASS in partnership with UNICEF across several locations, including Bosaso, Gardo, Garowe, Burtinle, Galkayo, and Galdogob. These shelters provide daily meals, access to information about services, temporary accommodation, family communication, clothing, and onward transportation within Puntland.
During their journeys, some of these children experience incidents of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including physical violence. Notably, two cases of unwanted pregnancies were reported among girls under the age of 18. In 2024, a total of 73 Ethiopian migrants (53 boys and 20 girls) under the age of 18, primarily from Oromia, benefited from the services of these safe houses as part of their voluntary return process. The last patch was repatriated to their home to reunify with their families in 30th October 2014. They traveled in groups and received support through the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) program cross-border reunification. IOM has closely collaborated with the Ethiopian Consulate in Puntland to facilitate the verification and issuance of travel documents, ensuring safe onward travel assistance to their final destinations. Finally, TASS is excited to service these child migrants at its upmost standard and return to their families safely, we highly appreciate the generous funding of UNICEF and coordination of MODAFA.
