As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a somber light over Lake Turkana, Senait Mebrehtu mourned her lost daughter by casting flowers into the lake's deep waters. Hiyab, only 14 years old, drowned while attempting to cross this vast water body, an increasingly trafficked route for would-be migrants seeking safety in Kenya. Ms. Mebrehtu, a former Eritrean asylum seeker who settled in Kenya three years prior, visited the spot to pay tribute after hearing her daughter's fate during a harrowing journey.
Faced with a repressive regime in Eritrea notorious for compulsory military service and human rights abuses, Ms. Mebrehtu originally migrated to Kenya with her younger children, leaving her two older ones behind due to fears of conscription. Once in Kenya, Hiyab and her sister persuaded their mother to allow them to join her, leading her to arrange the necessary funds for a smuggler.
The journey soon turned perilous; within weeks they found themselves navigating through Ethiopia and finally reaching the shores of Lake Turkana, where demand for smuggling has surged. A trafficker confirmed this "digital route," a new alternative as increased border patrols prompted smugglers to seek less conventional paths to transport refugees.
Regrettably, this attempt ended in tragedy as a poorly constructed boat overloaded with migrants capsized under strong winds, claiming Hiyab's life as others clung to floating debris for survival. Ms. Mebrehtu, filled with anguish and anger, blamed the smugglers for their negligence, highlighting the disregard for human life that defines the smuggling networks operating across East Africa.
Other migrants shared their own traumatic experiences during those treacherous crossings. Meanwhile, some fishermen observed the grim aftermath of these dangerous voyages, witnessing bodies of migrants wash ashore in the aftermath of failed crossings, reiterating the urgent need for greater awareness and outreach to potential migrants.
As awareness of the growing trafficking networks increases, Ms. Mebrehtu's heart-wrenching story serves as a clarion call for change. With evidence of rising numbers of Eritreans desperately seeking refuge in neighboring countries amid regional conflicts, the harrowing consequences of migration, compounded by the increasing reach of smugglers, must not be forgotten.
Reflecting on the painful reality that continues to plague many families like hers, Ms. Mebrehtu extends a heartfelt plea for peace and healing in her homeland, advocating for a world where no mother has to face such devastating loss again.
