The Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan) is characterized by a complex history of weak governance, environmental degradation, recurrent violence and conflict, and chronic poverty. Migration and refugee movements in and from the region are a regional challenge since the early 1960s. The aim of this brief paper by Günter Schröder is to focus on the factors that cause people to flee or migrate in three countries: Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.