Djibouti gives illegal immigrants one week to leave or face deportation

Djibouti said Wednesday it would soon begin deporting "illegally present" foreigners, calling on them to leave the migration hub before the end of April.

Many foreigners come to the Horn of Africa country to attempt the perilous journey across the Red Sea to wealthy Gulf countries in unseaworthy and overcrowded boats.

In 2024, at least 558 people died while attempting the crossing, according to the United Nations.

The interior ministry had already "invited those illegally present in our country to leave" by the end of April, Alexis Mohamed, advisor to President Ismael Omar Guelleh, told AFP, without saying how many people that involved.

Taking the risks

The decision "responds primarily to security and health concerns," Mohamed said.

The coastal state is one of the least populated countries in Africa with roughly one million inhabitants, and is a haven of stability in the often-troubled region.

It is only 26 kilometres (14 nautical miles) from Yemen across the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

Each year, tens of thousands of migrants -- often from neighbouring Ethiopia -- brave the crossing to escape conflict, natural disasters and poor economic prospects.

Many try to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries where they can find employment as labourers or domestic workers.