Trafficking Somalis and Foreigners with Sold Government IDs and Passports, Deceiving European Embassies

by: Horn Observer Contributor | 25 June 2024 21:55

Visits: 1951
(Rating 0.0/5 Stars) Total Votes: 0
0 0
Share via Social Media

Trafficking Somalis and Foreigners with Sold Government IDs and Passports, Deceiving European Embassies

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) - A massive trafficking network has once again emerged, involving the Ministry of Women Affairs of the Somali Federal Government, three government sources say there is an active investigation.

Share

Among the racketeers implicated is the State Minister of Women, Amina Hassan Ali who reportedly trafficked upto 17 individuals out of the country.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) - A massive trafficking network has once again emerged, involving the Ministry of Women Affairs of the Somali Federal Government, three government sources say there is an active investigation.

The Somali Prime Minister's office has received reports that 17 illegal migrants were trafficked out of the country with service and diplomatic passports sold to them. While the majority of them are Somalis, a source at the Prime Minister's office believes that at least three of them were foreigners who acquired service and diplomatic passports illegally after bribing government officials.

Among the racketeers implicated is the State Minister of Women, Amina Hassan Ali.

For each of the 17 individuals trafficked, the Prime Minister's office and other sources within the ministry say they were charged between USD 6,000 to USD 8,000.

These individuals used the documents to apply for visas in Mogadishu and in Nairobi in order to apply asylum in Europe, even though they travel under the claim of tourism or government conferences.

The government sources we spoke to are now saying fake government employees are given documents by ministers in exchange for money.

A document has now emerged from Minister Amina, in which she was attempting to solicit an Italian visa for a non-government employee. The letter, dated May 5, 2024, states: "I request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to request an Italian visa for the following person who is an adviser at the Gender Department of the Ministry."

The people at the Prime Minister's office say, the prime minister has expressed suspicion over the minister applying for a visa for an ordinary person.

The countries whose visas were significantly impacted by this trafficking network include Italy, Belgium, and Finland.

The network of traffickers operates in a complex system involving travel agencies, government officials, and airport staff. The Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also implicated in the scandal, with the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Hamza Haadow, accused of being part of the network.

There is a major concern that individuals obtaining these documents are never subjected to background checks, posing a significant security risk. With Somalia having active terrorist groups that pose a global security threat, this lack of scrutiny is alarming.

Traffickers charge several thousand dollars to those seeking falsified documents, government passports, and government letters for use in visa applications.

Minister Amina did not reply to our request for comment when contacted.