By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has responded to the European Union’s decision to tighten visa procedures for Somali nationals, saying his government remains ready to receive Somali citizens who no longer have legal status in European countries.
The president stressed that Somalia has never refused to accept the return of its citizens, but said the main challenge lies in verifying the identities of individuals being repatriated.
“Somali migrants who travelled to Europe and obtained legal status — we thank the countries that granted them that opportunity. Those who lost their legal status, we want them to return home. We want them back.”
However, President Hassan Sheikh said some individuals who are not Somali nationals have claimed Somali identity to obtain asylum or residency in Europe, making the verification process more complicated.
He said he had personally encountered cases in which people deported from Europe and returned to Somalia were later found not to be genuine Somali citizens, raising concerns about the procedures used to establish nationality.
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The president said Somalia and the European Union continue to differ over the mechanism used to verify whether individuals facing return are Somali nationals.
“We cannot and will not refuse to receive Somali citizens who have no legal status in those countries. But there must be a proper process to verify that those being returned are Somali nationals,” he said.
He added that the Somali government continues to facilitate the voluntary return of its citizens from different parts of the world, including organising repatriation flights.
His remarks came after the European Union announced temporary restrictions on visa procedures for Somali nationals, citing what it described as insufficient cooperation from Somalia in accepting the return of citizens residing irregularly in EU member states.