"It is a gamble. I lost."

Ibrahim Abdulai has been living with the effects of polio since
he was a child, yet not even his disability swayed him from trying
to reach Yemen. Tales of prosperity in the Middle-East are causing
thousands of migrants to part with their savings, and their lives,
on tiny, unstable boats travelling at night through the Gulf of
Aden.

"I paid over $300 to get to Yemen, but each time the sea was too
rough, so we had to come back. I lost all my money, but I guess we
were the lucky ones. Many people do not come back alive," says
Ibrahim. Having spent all his money on two failed boat trips,
Ibrahim is now stranded in Bossaso, the Puntland State of Somalia.
He has been there for six years since leaving Harah in Ethiopia for
a "better life" at the age of 14.

"It is a gamble and I lost. I did not make it across the sea and
have no more money. I am disabled so nobody will employ me. I have
to beg for money, food and water. I am only 20 years old; it is
shameful," says Ibrahim.

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Story

The poorest in Bossaso

98 per cent of migrants at the Migration Response Centre are
from Ethiopia, and mainly economic migrants: "They are the poorest
in Bossaso, the most vulnerable. Many of them are robbed and
sexually abused on their journey. They have spent all their money
trying to get here, are in a new country, and have no means of
income as many cannot speak Somali," says Mohamud Jama Muse,
Director of the Bossaso Migration Response Centre.

Established jointly by the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) and the Puntland State of Somalia Government, the
centre registers new migrants and provides a space for advocacy and
human rights awareness.

Dignity

"The centre has given me back my dignity and independence. They
have provided me with my wheelchair, so now I no longer need to use
metal sticks, and I can easily transport myself without everyone
staring." The centre has also offered Ibrahim work: "I give
workshops on migrant integration and work as a translator for
Ethiopians who do not speak Somali. This is one of the few places I
feel safe, and I am grateful for everything they have done for me.
But it is time for me to go home now. I still have my uncle in
Ethiopia, here I have no family. I also have no access to health
care; the last time I went to a hospital was 12 years ago. I need
to see a doctor about my legs."

We will do everything we can

"Ibrahim is very close to our heart here at the Migration
Response Centre," comments Mohamud Jama Musse. "Despite all his
hardships, and still being so young, he is able to offer other
migrants assistance. We will do everything we can to help him
return to Ethiopia."

Mohamud continues: "We need scale-up to provide a more
comprehensive service. Many migrants who come to us have health
problems and need psychosocial support and shelter. If we had a
health clinic next to the centre we can make a real, tangible
difference to the well-being of many migrants."