Grieving Mother Exposes Dangers of Eritrean Migrant Smuggling Routes

Senait Mebrehtu memorializes her 14-year-old daughter, Hiyab, who drowned while attempting to cross Lake Turkana as part of a smuggling operation. This heartbreaking story uncovers the risky paths migrants take to escape oppression in Eritrea and the increasing use of dangerous water routes by human traffickers.

As the sun dipped beneath the horizon at Lake Turkana, Senait Mebrehtu, a grieving mother, cast flowers into the shimmering greenish-blue waters, mourning her teenage daughter, Hiyab, who tragically drowned while trying to reach Kenya. Last year, Hiyab, only 14, made the treacherous journey alongside her sister, who miraculously survived amidst the harsh conditions of their crossing.

Senait, a Pentecostal Christian originally from Eritrea, had fled to Kenya three years ago seeking sanctuary from religious persecution. During her journey to commemorate her daughter's life, she expressed her anguish to the BBC, stating, "If the smugglers told me there was such a big and dangerous lake in Kenya, I wouldn't have let my daughters come this far.” She had previously arrived in Kenya on a tourist visa with her two younger children, but her older daughters could not accompany her due to conscription risks in their home country.

Eritrea's militarized and oppressive regime often forces citizens into lengthy national service, characterized by forced labor. The sisters longed to reunite with their mother, leading Senait to consult relatives who unfortunately suggested hiring smugglers to assist their escape. The sisters embarked on a convoluted journey, traversing through challenging terrain from Eritrea to Ethiopia, and eventually to the north-western shores of Lake Turkana.

A female smuggler operating in Kenya admitted to the BBC that Lake Turkana has become a preferred route for migrants, referring to it as the “digital route,” a starkly new pathway emerging due to increased border patrols. The smuggler revealed that she earns up to $1,500 for each migrant she traffics, four times the average Kenyan salary, showcasing the grim reality of this illicit trade.

During their ill-fated journey, the boat transporting Hiyab capsized just moments after leaving the fishing village of Ileret. Witnesses observed Hiyab's boat overturn in harsh winds, leading to the disaster that took seven lives. Hiyab's sister clung desperately to the capsizing vessel until another smuggler's boat arrived to rescue her.

Senait blamed the smugglers for the tragedy, citing overloading of the small boat as pure negligence, as it was meant to carry a fraction of the number of people it held. Local fishermen reported discovering bodies of other tragic victims in the lake, emphasizing the growing toll of migrant fatalities.

With the UN estimating that there are currently 345,000 Eritrean refugees in East Africa, many families, like Senait’s, are fleeing grave dangers, hoping to escape oppressive national service and persecution. Experts note that Kenya and Uganda have emerged as critical transit points amidst increasing turmoil in neighboring Ethiopia and Sudan, providing fleeting hope of refuge.

The smuggler, now aware of the consequences of her operations, expressed conflicted emotions about her role in the industry. As Senait continues to grapple with the loss of her beloved daughter, she recognizes the pain shared by countless Eritrean families and yearns for a peaceful future in her homeland, saying, “May God heal our land and deliver us from all this."