Somali Government Officials Involved in Human Trafficking Networks Exploiting Migrants

by: Horn Observer Contributor | 25 June 2024 21:11

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Somali Government Officials Involved in Human Trafficking Networks Exploiting Migrants

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) - Abdikariim Arale, a 26-year-old university graduate, left Somalia in February 2023 along with other Somalis, traveling with the help of human traffickers to Russia. His father, a camel broker at the animal market

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Hamza Haadow, the Permanent Secretary of the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused of being part of a network of human trafficking..

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) - Abdikariim Arale, a 26-year-old university graduate, left Somalia in February 2023 along with other Somalis, traveling with the help of human traffickers to Russia. His father, a camel broker at the animal market in Afgooye town, 30km south of Mogadishu, recounts their journey.

The route they took was Mogadishu – Hargeisa – Addis Ababa – Moscow, each paying USD 6,800 to the traffickers.

"This is not a secret route. Everybody in Mogadishu and Hargeisa is familiar," Abdikariim told our reporter.

Indeed, Save World Travel Agency in Hargeisa, publicly advertises tourism visas from Russia to Finland within 25 days.

"We promise you will get a visa at the Russian airport. Welcome dear customer," reads a poster on the group's Facebook page.

They also advertise Italian family visas with a six-month waiting period, requiring a Somali passport and a "fake" woman (disguised as a wife) aged between 17 and 35 years old.

When our reporter, disguised as a traveler, sought additional information, the agent at the travel agency said they do not check whether someone is a criminal or a member of terrorist groups.

"You only need a new Somali passport, two photos, and the money," the agent explained.

And yes, they also promise Australian work visa within 6 months.

PHOTO: And yes, they also promise Australian work visa within 6 months.

This agency and others in Mogadishu also claim that they can issue student visas to Belarus within 30 days. This route is currently becoming popular among traffickers and their victims in Somalia.

The Somali traffickers operate within a complex network that extends beyond Africa, from small offices disguised as travel agencies in Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Addis Ababa, Saudi Arabia, to shops selling clothes and beverages in Finland, Russia and other European countries such as Italy and Greece.

"After an advance payment of up to $2,000, the passports are sent to Saudi Arabia, where visas are processed by Russian-born smugglers at the Russian Embassy in Saudi," said one of the recently arrived migrants currently in Europe.

However, not all journeys go smoothly. Abdikariim's family experienced another ordeal when he was held up at the Finnish border in early April 2024 after Finland closed its border with Russia.

"We agreed with the smugglers to send my son to Russia, with the final destination being Finland. However, when Finland closed its borders, my son was sent to Belarus to cross the Poland border, but that never worked," says Abdikariim’s father Arale.

Abdikariim's visa expired, and he is now detained in Moscow. His family cannot afford any additional costs. Arale contacted the traffickers through their agent, asking for his son's release, but to no avail. The family is now facing an additional cost of $9,000, which includes accommodation costs and fines for overstaying in Russia after his visa expiration.

"Otherwise, he'll have to spend the rest of his life in that prison," says Arale. They are now considering seeking local contributions from clan members, though their hopes are low.

Russian traffickers have a history of exploiting migrants who cannot pay by either using them as sex slaves in brothels or sending them to the frontlines in Ukraine after short military training.

Italian and Greek Networks

Mohamed Nur entered Germany in May via Italy, thanks to traffickers who secured Italian tourism visa from Mogadishu.

The Italian Embassy in Mogadishu has recently increased visa applications for Somali diplomatic and service passport holders. Both documents are available for a fee through corrupt government officials.

"I paid $5,000 to get the Service passport. My traffickers then sent me to visit an office within the foreign affairs ministry in Mogadishu, where an officer gave me a letter indicating that I work for the government. Then the traffickers told me to go to the Italian Embassy to get the visa. I got it within 19 days," Mohamed told our reporter.

The letter used by Mohamed was signed by Hamza Haadoow, the Permanent Secretary of the Somalia Foreign Affairs Ministry. Several other migrants used similar documents.

When asked about the matter, Haadoow did not respond.

The Italian Embassy in Mogadishu did not explain how they differentiate genuine tourist visa applicants from trafficked individuals. However, three recent travelers who got their visas from the Italian Embassy reported similar experiences to Mohamed Nur.

Once migrants arrive in Italy, they sneak out of the country with the help of traffickers waiting there. For those without Schengen visas to cross to other European countries, the traffickers assist them.

A migrant YouTuber, Baaba Jey from Mogadishu, is currently stranded at the Belarus-Poland border while attempting to cross into Europe. He documented one of his recent journeys in the cold in early June.

"They have all sorts of residence cards of European Union countries. They gave us ID cards that look like our faces. Then we took the train to Germany. We were three of us," Mohamed said.

Those ID cards are either stolen or reported lost by their rightful owners.

Beyond the Italian route, other migrants like Ubeyd crossed the Mediterranean to Greece via Turkey, where traffickers successfully brought them during the night. Their small boat was rescued by the Greek coastguard and brought to shore in late December 2023.

"Before we reached Greece, the traffickers told us to destroy all our SIM cards and wipe our phones so that no data could be found. We stayed in Greece for a year in the refugee camp but received no assistance. I decided to proceed. I paid an extra €2,000 to the traffickers. They have a man who has a shop selling drinks and other small items," Ubeyd told our reporter.

Once the payment was made in cash, Ubeyd got a stolen Italian residence card bearing a photo that looked like his. The Greek airport officials were convicted to allow him to leave. He was able to board a flight from Crete, Greece to Italy, where he crossed to Germany.

Ring Leaders of the Trafficking Network

Finland remains one of the safe havens for the trafficking network in Europe. Several migrants mentioned names of individuals in Finland who have well-established connections to the Somali government in Mogadishu.

Apart from the Somali ministry of foreign affairs officials complicated in this, there are other key names within the network.

Sharmarke Abukar Amiin, whom migrants say is a former agent at the Somalia National Intelligence Agency and currently holds Finnish citizenship has been repeatedly mentioned in the network. It is not yet clear if Sharmarke is part of the network operating the Save World Travel Agency.

Others include Abdinur, based in Switzerland, and Mohamud in Greece.

The exploitation and trafficking of Somali migrants continue to be a pressing issue, with complex networks spanning multiple countries and involving various corrupt officials.

The plight of migrants like Abdikariim and Mohamed highlights the need for international cooperation and stronger measures to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals.