Since the end of the cold war, irregular migration within and across the Horn of Africa region has been quite unprecedented. Especially, its association with smuggling and trafficking networks and its human tragedy have put the region in a precarious situation. Every year tens of thousands of young people flee the region in an irregular way, most times causing them to make risky journey across deserts and seas to far-flung regions. Dominant media and political discourse tend to identify extreme poverty as the responsible factor for the larger flow of irregular migrants from the region. However, such representation seems to be based on stereotypes rather than on empirical researches. It seems that, a deeper understanding of the root cause is missing from the public debate and political discourse. This paper examines the root cause of irregular migration in the region. In doing so, by following a critical approach it demystifies the notion that poverty is the root cause which really is a consequence. It may also provide possible policy recommendations. Four countries of the region, namely Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia, which to a different extent are origin for irregular migration, are discussed in this paper.