Puntland coastguards  detain migrants heading to Yemen

Puntland’s coastguard have detained 32 immigrants in its waters as they were trying to illegally cross to neighboring Yemen in small boats, officials have said on Tuesday.

The immigrants of Somali and Ethiopia origins were caught by the coastguard as they prepared to embark their risky journey from Bari region waters.

Bari Police commissioner, Abdihakim Hussein Yussuf told reporters that they have arrested 32 immigrants who were taken to custody and will be arraign in court soon.

“Operations will go ahead until we eradicate human smuggling from our region ’’ he said.

Among the detainees are women of mostly in their early-20s .

Every year, Tens of thousands of African migrants risk their lives to try and enter Europe on unseaworthy boats in search for a better life. Many die atrocious deaths – beaten, thrown overboard, eaten by sharks, drowned or asphyxiated in the hold of crowded smuggler boats.

Impoverished Yemen is mainly used as a transit country, with African migrants often aiming to move on to neighbouring oil-rich Gulf nations and Europe to find work and better life.