Calankii
Toosoo

Why and how people left

What papers do Somali refugees and migrants need, and why are they hard to get?

A Somali who flees needs proof of refugee status from a host state or UNHCR, then travel, residence and family papers. About 805,900 Somali refugees lived in neighbouring countries in late 2026, and many lack records that other states accept.

Last checked 2026-11-12 49 sources Reading time: 12 min English draft · native-speaker review in progress

What papers does a Somali refugee need?

A Somali who flees needs, in order: refugee registration, proof of refugee status, a travel document, and later residence or citizenship papers in the new country. Each step depends on proving identity, which is hard when birth records and state registries were lost after 1991 (IRB Canada via ecoi.net, 2004).

UNHCR counted 805,917 refugees from Somalia in the region at 31 October 2026 (UNHCR Operational Data Portal):

  • Ethiopia: 368,165
  • Kenya: 334,733
  • Uganda: 48,340
  • Yemen: 40,982 (31 August 2026)
  • Djibouti: 13,697 (31 August 2026)

Which laws make a Somali a refugee?

Two treaties set the rules. The 1951 Refugee Convention covers people with a well-founded fear of persecution for race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion (1951 Convention, Refworld).

The 1969 OAU Convention adds people who flee "external aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events seriously disturbing public order" (OAU Convention 1969, AfricanLII). This wider definition fits many people fleeing fighting in Somalia.

Somalia itself has been a party to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol since 1978 (UNHCR RIMAP, Somalia; UN Treaty Series vol. 1108). A University of Minnesota record shows no ratification information for the OAU Convention (UMN Human Rights Library).

What is prima facie refugee status?

It means a whole group is recognised as refugees without a separate interview for each person. It is used when large numbers flee at once.

  • Kenya: The Refugees Act 2021 took effect on 22 February 2022 and repealed the 2006 Act (UNHCR RIMAP, Kenya). The Cabinet Secretary may declare a class of persons prima facie refugees after advice from a committee (same source). The Act uses both the 1951 and OAU definitions (same source).
  • Kenya ID: Section 15 of the Act requires refugees to be given an identity card (HIAS, 2022).
  • Ethiopia: Refugees Proclamation No. 1110/2019 lets the government recognise groups as refugees (FAOLEX, Proclamation 1110/2019). Ethiopia's Refugees and Returnees Service decides asylum claims, and UNHCR observes (UNHCR Help Ethiopia).

What is a UNHCR "mandate refugee"?

Where a state does not decide refugee claims, UNHCR may decide them itself under its Statute. People recognised this way are called mandate refugees (UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 1.2). UNHCR always tests the 1951 Convention definition first, then its broader mandate (same source).

What does UNHCR registration give a refugee?

Registration creates a record in UNHCR's proGres database with name, sex, date of birth, country of origin and nationality (UNHCR Registration Guidance). Staff must make a reasonable effort to confirm identity before creating a record (same source). Many Somalis' dates of birth were filled in at this stage; see why so many Somalis have 1 January birthdays.

What is a Convention travel document?

Article 28 of the 1951 Convention requires states to give refugees lawfully on their territory a travel document. Its form is set out in a Schedule and specimen annexed to the Convention (UNHCR, Refugee travel documents).

UNHCR and the International Civil Aviation Organization publish a joint guide on making these documents machine-readable (UNHCR and ICAO Guide, Refworld). With it, a refugee can travel without using a Somali passport.

How did the United States resettle the Somali Bantu?

The Somali Bantu are a minority group who lived for years in Kenya's camps. The first groups left Kenya for the US in May 2003 (NPR, 2003).

The plan was to resettle about 12,000 people (Van Lehman and McKee, Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, 2019). A 2006 IPS report put the group at about 13,000 (IPS). A final count of arrivals by 2007 has not been found yet.

The same journal article says dozens of Somali Bantu men were removed back to Somalia after 2016 (Van Lehman and McKee, 2019).

What was US Temporary Protected Status for Somalia?

TPS let Somalis already in the US stay and work while return was unsafe. The US first designated Somalia on 16 September 1991 (Federal Register, 14 Jan 2026).

It was extended or redesignated many times: nine extensions from 1992 to 2001, a redesignation in 2001, another in 2012, and three more rounds from 2021 (Federal Register, 2026). The 2024 notice ran it to 17 March 2026 (Federal Register, 22 Jul 2024).

How did Somalia's TPS end?

On 14 January 2026, DHS announced termination effective 17 March 2026 (Federal Register, 2026). DHS counted 1,082 approved beneficiaries and 1,383 pending applications as of 8 December 2025 (same source).

  • Court stay: Four Somalis and two groups sued. A federal judge in Boston paused the termination in March 2026 (NAACP LDF; Muslim Advocates, May 2026).
  • Supreme Court: In June 2026, the Supreme Court limited judges' power to review TPS terminations by a 6 to 3 vote (GV Wire/Reuters, 14 Aug 2026).
  • End: On 14 August 2026, Judge Allison Burroughs lifted her block, affecting nearly 1,100 Somalis (GV Wire/Reuters, 2026). The legal challenge itself continued.

What other US rules affect Somali papers now?

Proclamation 10949 suspended entry for Somali nationals from 9 June 2025 (White House fact sheet, June 2025; Proclamation text, GovInfo). Somalia stayed on the full list in the December 2025 proclamation effective 1 January 2026 (Stony Brook University).

In December 2025, USCIS memo PM-602-0192 placed holds on green card, travel document and other applications from nationals of the listed countries (Jackson Walker). It also ordered re-review of benefits approved since 20 January 2021 for people who entered from then on (EIG Law).

Why did the US stop family reunification and start DNA tests?

The US P-3 programme let refugees bring parents, spouses and children. In early 2008, the State Department tested 476 applicants in Nairobi, mostly Somali and Ethiopian (PBS Frontline, 2015).

  • 16% matched every relative they listed.
  • 39% did not match at least one relative.
  • 45% refused or did not attend (same source).

Processing stopped in Kenya and Ethiopia in March 2008 and elsewhere in May (US State Department, archived Q&A). Critics said one false result could mark a whole family as fraudulent (PBS Frontline, 2015; American Immigration Council).

P-3 reopened in 2012 only with DNA or adoption proof for each parent and child. Fewer than 100 people a year came through it after that (PBS Frontline, 2015).

How do Norway and other countries test family ties?

Norway's immigration directorate (UDI) may summon applicants from Africa south of the Sahara, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Yemen for DNA tests (UDI). The test is free, but applicants pay travel, and refusing without good reason will probably lead to rejection (same source).

A 2000 letter in the Norwegian medical journal discussed DNA tests of Somali families (Tidsskriftet, 2000). A 2012 Norwegian report for the European Migration Network says DNA is offered when papers are judged inadequate (UDI/EMN).

Why have Somali passports been hard to use abroad?

After 1991, Somali passports were sold in markets and could not be checked. In July 2003 the UK stopped accepting them, and most EU states did the same (IRB Canada via ecoi.net, 2004). In 2025 the president said over 10 million people held Somali passports, many issued without proper checks (Garowe Online, Sep 2025). The full history is in our Somali passport guide.

How does Somalia issue identity papers now?

Somalia's Identification and Registration Act (Law No. 9 of March 2023) created the National Identification and Registration Authority, NIRA (NIRA). About 500,000 people had registered by September 2025, and a national ID became required for passport applications (Garowe Online, Sep 2025). See our national ID guide and birth records guide.

Can a Somali refugee lose all nationality?

The risk exists. Somalia's citizenship law is Law No. 28 of 22 December 1962 (Refworld). Its Article 2 gives citizenship by law to a person whose father is a Somali citizen. The 1962 law did not allow dual nationality, though the 2012 Provisional Constitution does (Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative).

Somalia has not signed the 1954 or 1961 statelessness conventions (UMN Human Rights Library). Children born in camps to parents without papers may struggle to prove Somali nationality, since few births are registered (UNICEF Somalia, 2025).

Who is sent back to Somalia, and how?

  • United States: ICE removed 229 Somali citizens in 2018, according to FOIA data analysed by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). Garowe Online reported 4,090 Somalis marked for removal (Garowe Online).
  • United Kingdom: A Home Office programme run by IRARA in Mogadishu helps Somalis returned from the UK. They must ask within 3 months, and help lasts up to 12 months (GOV.UK, 15 Sep 2026).
  • Norway: In 2016, Norway and Somalia prepared a return deal that could affect about 500 Somalis refused residence (PRIO, 2016). Norway's immigration directorate reported 163 forced returns to Somalia since 2018 (Full Fact). Norwegian police publish monthly figures (Politiet).
  • Sweden: Swedish Radio reported a confidential December 2023 deal linked to aid funds; both governments deny any such agreement (Hiiraan Online, Dec 2025; AllAfrica, Dec 2025; Goobjoog). Sweden's migration minister said it worked only through IOM (Eastleigh Voice).

Why it matters (Calankii)

Papers decide where a Somali family can live, work and reunite. The banner raised in 1895 travels with every Somali, with or without a passport others accept. A clear record of these rules helps young Somalis abroad understand the paths their parents walked.

Sources

  1. UNHCR Operational Data Portal, "Horn of Africa Somalia situation", data to 31 Oct 2026, https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/horn. Checked 2026-11-12.
  2. UN General Assembly, Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951, Refworld, https://www.refworld.org/legal/agreements/unga/1951/en/39821?lang=so. Checked 2026-11-12.
  3. OAU, Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, 1969, AfricanLII, https://africanlii.org/en/akn/aa-au/act/convention/1969/specific-aspects-of-refugee-problems-in-africa/eng@1969-09-10/publication. Checked 2026-11-12.
  4. UNHCR RIMAP, Somalia, https://rimap.unhcr.org/countries/somalia. Checked 2026-11-12.
  5. United Nations Treaty Series vol. 1108, https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201108/volume-1108-A-8791-English_French.pdf. Checked 2026-11-12.
  6. University of Minnesota Human Rights Library, "Ratification of International Human Rights Treaties: Somalia", https://hrlibrary.umn.edu/research/ratification-somalia.html. Checked 2026-11-12.
  7. UNHCR RIMAP, Kenya Refugees Act 2021, https://rimap.unhcr.org/node/348. Checked 2026-11-12.
  8. HIAS, "Kenya's Refugee Act 2021: opportunities for refugee livelihoods and self-reliance", https://hias.org/wp-content/uploads/kenyas_refugee_act_2021-_opportunities_for_refugee_livelihoods_and_self-reliance_-final_draft31.pdf. Checked 2026-11-12.
  9. Ethiopia, Refugees Proclamation No. 1110/2019, FAOLEX, https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/eth216792.pdf. Checked 2026-11-12.
  10. UNHCR Help Ethiopia, "Refugee status determination", https://help.unhcr.org/ethiopia/asylum/rsd-processs/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  11. UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 1.2, https://www.unhcr.org/resettlement-handbook/1-refugee-status-and-resettlement/1-2-determining-refugee-status-under-unhcrs-mandate/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  12. UNHCR Registration Guidance, Chapter 8, https://www.unhcr.org/registration-guidance/chapter8/continuous-registration-in-unhcr-operations/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  13. UNHCR, "Refugee travel documents", Complementary Pathways Guidance, https://www.unhcr.org/complementary-pathways-guidance/7-travel-documents/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  14. UNHCR and ICAO, Guide for Issuing Machine Readable Convention Travel Documents, Refworld (archived), https://webarchive.archive.unhcr.org/20151216213518if_/http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/52b166a34.pdf. Checked 2026-11-12.
  15. NPR, "Somali refugees begin relocation to U.S.", 23 May 2003, https://www.npr.org/2003/05/23/1272465/somali-refugees-begin-relocation-to-u-s. Checked 2026-11-12.
  16. Daniel J. Van Lehman and Estelle M. McKee, "Removals to Somalia in Light of the Convention Against Torture", Georgetown Immigration Law Journal 33(3), 2019, https://www.law.georgetown.edu/immigration-law-journal/in-print/volume-33-number-3-spring-2019/removals-to-somalia-in-light-of-the-convention-against-torture-recent-evidence-from-somali-bantu-deportees/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  17. IPS News, report on Somali Bantu resettlement, 2006, https://www.ipsnews.net/?p=21748. Checked 2026-11-12.
  18. US DHS, "Termination of the Designation of Somalia for TPS", Federal Register 91 FR, 14 Jan 2026, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-14/html/2026-00596.htm. Checked 2026-11-12.
  19. US DHS, "Extension and Redesignation of Somalia for TPS", Federal Register, 22 Jul 2024, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/07/22/2024-15829/extension-and-redesignation-of-somalia-for-temporary-protected-status. Checked 2026-11-12.
  20. NAACP Legal Defense Fund, "Federal court grants temporary emergency stay of TPS termination for Somalia", 2026, https://naacpldf.org/press-release/federal-court-grants-temporary-emergency-stay-of-tps-termination-for-somalia/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  21. Muslim Advocates, "Court extends pause on TPS for Somalia", May 2026, https://muslimadvocates.org/2026/05/court-extends-pause-on-tps-for-somalia/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  22. GV Wire (Reuters), "US judge clears way for Trump to end Somalis' deportation protections", 14 Aug 2026, https://gvwire.com/2026/08/14/us-judge-clears-way-for-trump-to-end-somalis-deportation-protections/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  23. The White House, Fact sheet on Proclamation restricting entry, June 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/06/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restricts-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals. Checked 2026-11-12.
  24. Proclamation 10949, Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, GovInfo, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202500658/html/DCPD-202500658.htm. Checked 2026-11-12.
  25. Stony Brook University, "Presidential Proclamation: Expanding U.S. Entry Restrictions", 16 Dec 2025, https://stonybrook.edu/__admin-units/visa/resources/news-and-events/immigration-policy-updates/presidential-proclamation-expanding-us-entry-restrictions-12-16-2025.html. Checked 2026-11-12.
  26. Jackson Walker, "USCIS Pauses Asylum Adjudications and Places Hold on Benefits for Nationals of 19 High Risk Countries", Dec 2025, https://www.jw.com/news/insights-uscis-pauses-asylum-hold-benefits-high-risk-countries/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  27. EIG Law, "USCIS Issues Policy to Hold and Review Pending Applications from High-Risk Countries", Dec 2025, https://eiglaw.com/uscis-issues-policy-to-hold-and-review-pending-applications-from-high-risk-countries/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  28. Katie Worth, "For Some Refugees, Safe Haven Now Depends on a DNA Test", PBS Frontline, 19 Oct 2015, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/for-some-refugees-safe-haven-now-depends-on-a-dna-test. Checked 2026-11-12.
  29. US State Department, P-3 programme Q&A (archived 2008), https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090506232108/http://www.state.gov/g/prm/rls/115891.htm. Checked 2026-11-12.
  30. American Immigration Council, "Underrepresented African Refugees and Potential Problems with DNA Testing", https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/underrepresented-african-refugees-and-potential-problems-with-dna-testing/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  31. UDI, "Who can be summoned for a DNA test", https://www.udi.no/en/have-applied/family-immigration/who-can-be-summoned-for-a-dna-test-/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  32. Tidsskriftet for Den norske legeforening, "DNA-test, somaliere og norske adoptivfamilier", 2000, https://tidsskriftet.no/2000/01/korrespondanser/dna-test-somaliere-og-norske-adoptivfamilier. Checked 2026-11-12.
  33. UDI / European Migration Network, "Misuse of the right to family reunification", 2012, https://www.udi.no/globalassets/global/forskning-fou_i/arbeid-og-opphold/misuse-of-the-right-to-family-reunification.pdf. Checked 2026-11-12.
  34. IRB Canada, "Somalia: Identity documents and travel documents (January 2000 - June 2004)", via ecoi.net, https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/1214116.html. Checked 2026-11-12.
  35. Garowe Online, "Somali president vows to overhaul passport system after 10 million issued without clear records", 19 Sep 2025, https://garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somali-president-vows-to-overhaul-passport-system-after-10-million-issued-without-clear-records. Checked 2026-11-12.
  36. National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), https://nira.gov.so/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  37. Somalia, Law No. 28 of 22 December 1962 on Somali Citizenship, Refworld, https://www.refworld.org/legal/legislation/natlegbod/1963/en/123382. Checked 2026-11-12.
  38. Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative, "Law No. 28 of 22 December 1962 on Somali Citizenship", https://citizenshiprightsafrica.org/law-no-28-of-22-december-1962-on-somali-citizenship/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  39. UNICEF Somalia, "Giving Every Child a Legal Identity", 10 Aug 2025, https://www.unicef.org/somalia/stories/legal-identity. Checked 2026-11-12.
  40. Center for Immigration Studies, "ICE Resists Politicization of Deportations, Returns Planeload of Somali Citizens", https://cis.org/Vaughan/ICE-Resists-Politicization-Deportations-Returns-Planeload-Somali-Citizens. Checked 2026-11-12.
  41. Garowe Online, "U.S. Intensifies Deportation Drive, Somalia Tops African Deportation List", https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/world/u-s-intensifies-deportation-drive-somalia-tops-african-deportation-list. Checked 2026-11-12.
  42. UK Home Office, "Returning to Somalia" (English), 15 Sep 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/returning-to-somalia/returning-to-somalia-english-accessible. Checked 2026-11-12.
  43. PRIO, "Norway and Kenya Prepare for Forceful Returns of Somalis", 2016, https://www.prio.org/comments/218. Checked 2026-11-12.
  44. Full Fact, "Review of Somalian refugee status did not lead to 1,600 people being deported from Norway", https://fullfact.org/online/norway-somalia-refugee-deportations/. Checked 2026-11-12.
  45. Norwegian Police, "Forced returns from Norway, June 2026", https://www.politiet.no/globalassets/tall-og-fakta/uttransporteringer/engelsk/2026/june-2026-forced-returns-from-norway.pdf. Checked 2026-11-12.
  46. Hiiraan Online, "Somali president meets Swedish minister as deportations face scrutiny", Dec 2025, https://hiiraan.org/politics4/2025/Dec/203952/somali_president_meets_swedish_minister_as_deportations_face_scrutiny.aspx. Checked 2026-11-12.
  47. AllAfrica, "Somali PM's Office Accused of Facilitating Deportations of Somalis From Sweden", Dec 2025, https://allafrica.com/stories/202512150145.html. Checked 2026-11-12.
  48. Goobjoog News, "Somali government denies reports of secret deal with Sweden", https://en.goobjoog.com/somali-government-denies-reports-of-secret-deal-with-sweden. Checked 2026-11-12.
  49. Eastleigh Voice, "Somalia denies secret deportation deal with Sweden", https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/somali%20immigrants/222567/somalia-denies-secret-deportation-deal-with-sweden. Checked 2026-11-12.

Sources

  1. IRB Canada via ecoi.net, 2004 · ecoi.net
  2. UNHCR Operational Data Portal · data.unhcr.org
  3. 1951 Convention, Refworld · refworld.org
  4. OAU Convention 1969, AfricanLII · africanlii.org
  5. UNHCR RIMAP, Somalia · rimap.unhcr.org
  6. UN Treaty Series vol. 1108 · treaties.un.org
  7. UMN Human Rights Library · hrlibrary.umn.edu
  8. UNHCR RIMAP, Kenya · rimap.unhcr.org
  9. HIAS, 2022 · hias.org
  10. FAOLEX, Proclamation 1110/2019 · faolex.fao.org
  11. UNHCR Help Ethiopia · help.unhcr.org
  12. UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 1.2 · unhcr.org
  13. UNHCR Registration Guidance · unhcr.org
  14. UNHCR, Refugee travel documents · unhcr.org
  15. UNHCR and ICAO Guide, Refworld · webarchive.archive.unhcr.org
  16. NPR, 2003 · npr.org
  17. Van Lehman and McKee, Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, 2019 · law.georgetown.edu
  18. IPS · ipsnews.net
  19. Federal Register, 14 Jan 2026 · govinfo.gov
  20. Federal Register, 22 Jul 2024 · federalregister.gov
  21. NAACP LDF · naacpldf.org
  22. Muslim Advocates, May 2026 · muslimadvocates.org
  23. GV Wire/Reuters, 14 Aug 2026 · gvwire.com
  24. White House fact sheet, June 2025 · whitehouse.gov
  25. Proclamation text, GovInfo · govinfo.gov
  26. Stony Brook University · stonybrook.edu
  27. Jackson Walker · jw.com
  28. EIG Law · eiglaw.com
  29. PBS Frontline, 2015 · pbs.org
  30. US State Department, archived Q&A · webarchive.library.unt.edu
  31. American Immigration Council · americanimmigrationcouncil.org
  32. UDI · udi.no
  33. Tidsskriftet, 2000 · tidsskriftet.no
  34. UDI/EMN · udi.no
  35. Garowe Online, Sep 2025 · garoweonline.com
  36. NIRA · nira.gov.so
  37. Refworld · refworld.org
  38. Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative · citizenshiprightsafrica.org
  39. UNICEF Somalia, 2025 · unicef.org
  40. CIS · cis.org
  41. Garowe Online · garoweonline.com
  42. GOV.UK, 15 Sep 2026 · gov.uk
  43. PRIO, 2016 · prio.org
  44. Full Fact · fullfact.org
  45. Politiet · politiet.no
  46. Hiiraan Online, Dec 2025 · hiiraan.org
  47. AllAfrica, Dec 2025 · allafrica.com
  48. Goobjoog · en.goobjoog.com
  49. Eastleigh Voice · eastleighvoice.co.ke

Toosoo!

Since 1895, every generation has worked for one united, prosperous Somalia. Now it is our generation.

Can you help with What papers do Somali refugees and migrants need, and why are they hard to get?? Tell us what you can give.

I want to help with this
What you can give

Only the core team sees your answer. We never share or publish it. Privacy · or email hello@calankii.com.

All the ways to help

Same era

Keep reading