Somalia hit with EU visa restrictions as bloc pressures Mogadishu over migrant readmissions

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The European Union has imposed new visa restrictions on Somali citizens, intensifying a growing dispute with Mogadishu over the return of Somalis living irregularly in Europe.

EU member states approved the measures on Thursday after reviewing a European Commission assessment that found Somalia’s cooperation on readmitting nationals whose applications to remain in Europe had been rejected was insufficient.

Under the new rules, member states will no longer issue multiple-entry visas to Somali citizens. The visa fee waiver previously available to holders of Somali diplomatic passports has also been removed, while the standard processing time for visa applications has been extended from 15 days to 45 days.

The restrictions have no fixed end date and are intended to encourage stronger cooperation on migrant readmissions.

Speaking during Somalia’s Independence Day celebrations on Thursday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud rejected suggestions that Somalia was refusing to accept its own citizens.

“We haven’t rejected our people; they own this country. And we cannot reject them,” the president said.

Mohamud said Somalia’s concerns relate to the identification of returnees rather than opposition to repatriation itself. He argued that people from across the Horn of Africa often share similar physical characteristics and that some migrants have falsely identified themselves as Somali while seeking asylum in Europe.

The president cited previous cases in which individuals returned to Somalia were later found not to be Somali nationals, including some who were unable to speak the Somali language.

“If they are Somali, then we’ll take them. If they aren’t, we’ll help you find out where they are from, and you can send them there,” Mohamud said.

According to the president, Somali embassies have been instructed to assist nationals returning home, while the prime minister’s office regularly handles repatriation matters.

The dispute comes as Somalia continues efforts to recover from decades of conflict and instability following the collapse of the central government in 1991 and the civil war that followed.

The security challenges and economic hardships facing many communities have pushed large numbers of Somalis to seek opportunities abroad, with many attempting the dangerous migration route toward Europe through Libya, where migrants have frequently faced detention, exploitation, extortion and violence.

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner defended the bloc’s position, saying countries of origin must fulfill their obligations regarding the return of nationals who no longer have the legal right to remain in Europe.

“Otherwise, there can be consequences,” Brunner said.

Somalia joins a small group of countries subjected to such visa measures by the European Union. Similar restrictions were imposed on The Gambia in 2021 and Ethiopia in 2024. The EU lifted restrictions on Ethiopia in May after concluding that cooperation on readmissions had improved.

The latest decision adds to mounting travel challenges facing Somali citizens.

In 2025, the United States implemented a broad travel ban affecting nationals from several countries, including Somalia, after President Donald Trump returned to office.

The policy attracted international attention this month when Omar Abdulkadir Artan, Africa’s Referee of the Year for 2025, was denied entry to the United States and was unable to officiate at the World Cup despite holding a valid visa.

The standoff between Brussels and Mogadishu comes as the European Union pursues a broader effort to tighten migration controls, including plans for return centers outside EU territory and faster deportation procedures for individuals whose requests to remain in Europe have been denied.

With no timetable for lifting the restrictions, the new measures are expected to remain in force until the European Union determines that Somalia’s cooperation on migrant readmissions has improved.

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