MOGADISHU (KAAB TV) – The governments of Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland are reportedly pressuring the Somali government to accept the mass deportation of Somali refugees and asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected.
Three senior government officials in Mogadishu told Kaab TV that ambassadors from these European countries have repeatedly urged Somalia to accept deported Somalis, including those from Somaliland.
In a notable meeting at the EU Compound in Mogadishu’s Halane Camp, the Swedish ambassador to Somalia met with officials from seven Somali federal government departments and agencies.
These included representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the President’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Security, the National Commission for Refugees and IDPs, and immigration officials.
“These offices have been receiving support from Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland,” the sources said.
These discussions, which began in 2022, have continued into 2024. However, Somalia remains reluctant to comply with these demands. A representative from the Prime Minister’s Office mentioned that the pressure on Somalia increased after recent elections in Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland, where far-right political parties gained power.
Another representative from the National Commission for Refugees and IDPs emphasized the principle of non-refoulement under international human rights law. This principle guarantees that no one should be returned to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, or other irreparable harm.
However, the ambassadors from Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland were specific in their demands, stating they want Somalia to endorse a document authorizing the deportation of individuals convicted of crimes in those countries, such as rapists.
“There is no guarantee once this starts that it will end there. It will be a mass deportation, and that is what we fear,” an official said, requesting anonymity.
Under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), refoulement is prohibited in relation to the protection of refugees. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) also prohibits indirect refoulement, where an individual may be removed to a third country from which they could be further deported to a country where they face a real risk of prohibited treatment.
These developments underscore the growing tensions between European countries and Somalia regarding the treatment and repatriation of Somali refugees and asylum seekers.