ICERAS

Eritrea is the origin of a significant share of the mixed migration flows seen both in the Greater Horn of Africa and farther afield in North Africa and Europe. The limited data available suggest up to 5,000 people leave the country every month. At the end of 2015, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that more than 411,000 Eritreans were refugees or in refugee-like situations—and this is likely an undercount, considering many do not register with authorities. They join an Eritrean diaspora estimated at more than 1 million—a sizeable one considering Eritrea’s total population was just over 5 million in 2015.

Eritreans pose a special case among displaced populations due to the reasons why they leave their homeland, the manner in which they do so, and the special risks and vulnerabilities they face in transit. Many Eritreans cite their country’s conscription policy for all adults between ages 18-50 as the main reason underpinning their decision to move; other key factors include poverty, a lack of opportunities and freedoms, and inadequate government services. source https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/protection-move-eritrean-refugee-flows-through-greater-horn-africa