Somalia rejects claims linking EU visa restrictions to eVisa system
Mogadishu — Somalia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Mohamed Omar, has rejected reports suggesting that European Union visa restrictions are linked to the country’s electronic visa (eVisa) system, describing such claims as misleading.
In a statement, the minister said the EU’s decision should not be interpreted as an assessment of Somalia’s governance or its immigration systems. Instead, he said the measure relates specifically to migration management and cooperation on the return of Somali nationals who are residing illegally in European countries.
“The issue concerns migration and repatriation cooperation, not the effectiveness of Somalia’s administrative systems,” the minister said.
Ali Mohamed Omar noted that Somalia is not the only country to have faced such measures, pointing to Ethiopia, Iraq, Bangladesh, The Gambia and Senegal as countries that have previously experienced similar visa-related restrictions or discussions with the European Union.
The minister also defended Somalia’s eVisa system, describing it as part of the government’s efforts to modernize immigration services, simplify entry procedures and strengthen border security.
He said the digital visa platform was introduced to improve the efficiency of immigration administration and align Somalia with international best practices, rejecting suggestions that the system has contributed to the EU’s decision.
The European Union has not linked its visa measures to Somalia’s eVisa platform, with the restrictions instead focusing on cooperation over migration and the readmission of irregular migrants, according to the Somali government.
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