Tragic Crossing: A Mother’s Grief Highlights Dangers of Smuggling Routes in Kenya

Senait Mebrehtu mourns her 14-year-old daughter, Hiyab, who drowned in Lake Turkana while trying to escape Eritrea via smuggling networks. The tragedy highlights the risks associated with new migration routes exploited by traffickers and reflects the dire conditions many face in their quest for safety.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Senait Mebrehtu knelt by the shores of Lake Turkana, tears streaming down her face as she cast flowers into the water in memory of her daughter, Hiyab. The 14-year-old had tragically drowned while attempting to reach Kenya through a perilous new route utilized by migrant smugglers. Senait made the harrowing journey to northwestern Kenya to confront the reality of her daughter’s death, which was a result of a dangerous crossing she was unaware her daughters were undertaking.

Originally from Eritrea, Senait had fled her home country three years earlier, seeking asylum in Kenya due to harsh religious persecution. When her two daughters, desperate to join her, pleaded for help, she reached out to relatives who arranged the daunting trip through smugglers. The teenagers were supposed to traverse dangerous terrain and cross Lake Turkana, the world’s longest desert lake, which has recently become a hotspot for illegal crossings due to increased border patrols in Kenya.

Reports indicate that smugglers are exploiting this new route, with a female trafficker revealing that Lake Turkana, dubbed the "digital route," has emerged as a method for transporting migrants. She confirms that the journey can be incredibly risky, with boats often being dangerously overloaded. Hiyab and her sister's boat capsized shortly after leaving the fishing village of Ileret, leading to a tragic incident that left multiple migrants dead.

Senait condemned the actions of smugglers for recklessly endangering lives, stating that they had crammed more than 20 passengers into a small vessel. Accounts from other migrants report bodies of drowned individuals surfacing in the lake, underscoring the desperate circumstances and fatalities that many experience along this route.

Amidst the chaos, a lawyer emphasized the growing flow of migrants from Eritrea to Kenya and Uganda due to ongoing conflict in neighboring regions, exacerbating the need for safe passage. The smuggling networks stretch across East Africa, capitalizing on the desperation of those fleeing persecution.

Senait's grief stands as a painful reminder of the cost of human trafficking and the hidden realities many families face as they attempt to escape oppressive regimes. Though she mourns the loss of her young daughter, she expresses relief that her surviving daughter escaped unharmed. "We have gone through what every Eritrean family is going through," she said, sharing her hope for a future free from suffering in her homeland.