Somalia rejects EU claims on deportees from Europe

Somalia will not accept people who are not its citizens under deportation arrangements with the European Union, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Thursday, rejecting the bloc’s assertion that Mogadishu has failed to cooperate on the return of Somali nationals staying illegally in Europe.

Speaking during celebrations marking Somalia’s 66th Independence Day in the capital, Mogadishu, Mohamud said his government remained committed to receiving Somali citizens ordered to leave European countries, but insisted authorities must first verify their nationality.

His remarks came a day after the Council of the European Union announced temporary restrictions on short-stay visas for Somali nationals, saying an assessment by the European Commission had found Somalia’s cooperation on readmitting its nationals staying irregularly in the bloc’s member states to be ‘‘insufficient’’.

Under the measures, EU member states will no longer issue multiple-entry visas to Somali nationals, will end certain documentation and fee exemptions, and will extend the standard visa processing period from 15 to 45 calendar days. The EU said the restrictions will remain in place until the Commission determines that Somalia has improved cooperation on accepting deportees.

’Robust verification needed’

“I want to make it absolutely clear to the Somali nation, especially to our diaspora in Europe: We have never refused our people,” Mohamud said. “This country belongs to them, and rejecting a Somali citizen from their own homeland is simply impossible.”

The president said the disagreement with the EU centred not on refusing to receive Somali nationals but on ensuring that those being deported were genuinely citizens of Somalia.

Mohamud said Somalia’s concerns stemmed from previous cases in which people deported from Europe were later found not to be citizens of the country. He argued that migration flows from across the Horn of Africa had complicated efforts to establish nationality, making a robust verification process essential before deportations take place.

“As we all know, many people from the Horn of Africa who share our physical appearance and skin colour have sought political asylum in Europe using the name of Somalia,” Mohamud said.

‘Genuine Somalis are welcome back’

“We have had instances in the past where people were deported to us under the premise that they were ‘Somali’. However, upon arrival, it became clear that they did not even speak the Somali language and were not born here; they had simply claimed Somali nationality when applying for asylum,” he added.

“If they are genuinely citizens of the Federal Republic of Somalia, they are returning to their homeland and we will welcome them with open arms,” he said. “But if they are not, they should be redirected to their actual countries of origin.”

Mohamud denied that Somalia had failed to cooperate with European governments, saying the administration regularly dispatched delegations to verify the identities of deportees before arranging their return.

He said Somalia chartered flights at its own expense to repatriate confirmed Somali nationals and had instructed Somali embassies to assist citizens facing difficulties abroad.

The Somali government has also tightened eligibility requirements for national identity documents, including passports and identity cards, saying only Somali citizens—not people of Somali descent without citizenship—qualify for the documents. Authorities have urged citizens to register for valid national identification as part of efforts to strengthen identity verification.

Mohamud said Somalia remained ready to receive citizens whose asylum applications had been rejected, provided their nationality had been properly established and thanked the EU for its support to Somalia.

“We are deeply grateful to the European countries that have provided legal residency and sanctuary to Somali refugees,” he said. “As for those who, for whatever reason, were denied legal status, it is our genuine desire to see them return home.”

In recent months, Somali nationals have also faced tighter immigration measures from other countries, including Libya and the United States.