Somalia Rejects EU Claims It Refuses to Accept Deported Nationals

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has dismissed claims by the European Union that Somalia is refusing to accept its nationals deported from Europe, insisting that no Somali citizen can ever be denied entry into their own country.

Speaking during Somalia’s Independence Day celebrations in Mogadishu, President Mohamud said reports suggesting Somalia had rejected its citizens were false.

“We have been told that the European Union imposed visa restrictions on Somalis because Somalia refused to accept its citizens. That is simply not true,” the president said.

“No Somali citizen can be denied entry into their homeland, and we are not refusing our citizens.”

The president explained that the disagreement between Somalia and the EU is not about rejecting deportees but about verifying the identity of individuals being returned.

He noted that some people who obtained asylum in Europe by claiming to be Somali are, in fact, nationals of other countries or hold different citizenships.

“We want to first verify that those being deported are genuinely Somali citizens. If they are, we will welcome them. If they are not, they should be returned to their actual country of nationality,” he said.

President Mohamud’s remarks come after the Council of the European Union announced a temporary tightening of Schengen visa rules for Somali nationals, citing what it described as insufficient cooperation by Somalia on the readmission of people staying irregularly in Europe.

The EU has previously stated that the visa restrictions will only be lifted once Somalia demonstrates full cooperation in accepting deportation flights carrying its nationals.