The European Union member states agreed on Thursday to impose visa restrictions on Somali citizens over the country’s failure to readmit its nationals staying in the EU illegally.
This move comes amid growing concerns regarding the sharp uptick in the number of migrants arriving from Somalia, coupled with anxieties among EU ministers that only a very small fraction of unsuccessful asylum-seekers end up leaving the bloc.
EU Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner emphasized that countries of origin must fulfill their obligations, warning that there will otherwise be consequences, and stated that this decision reflects greater engagement and determination toward fostering better cooperation in readmissions.
The new sanctions, which were first proposed and spearheaded by Commissioner Magnus Brunner, introduce several strict measures against Somali nationals.
These restrictions indefinitely bar multiple-entry visas for Somali citizens, reimpose visa fees even for diplomats and holders of special passports, and significantly extend the standard visa-processing times to 45 days.
This is not the first time the European Union has utilized visa restrictions as leverage to compel third countries to cooperate on migrant readmissions, as the bloc previously imposed similar measures on Gambia in 2021 and on Ethiopia in 2024. However, the visa restrictions on Ethiopia were lifted in late May after member countries noted that cooperation on readmissions had substantially improved.
This targeted action against Somalia is part of a broader, major overhaul of migration policy being rolled out by EU member countries to gain tighter control over who enters the bloc. This overhaul includes negotiating new rules that will facilitate sending rejected asylum seekers to “return hubs” established outside the European Union.
Over half of the EU’s 27 member states have expressed a desire for swift action to establish these centers, as documented in a letter organized by the Danish and Italian governments and signed by 19 leaders, which was seen by POLITICO. Furthermore, the European Parliament passed legislation last week aimed at streamlining and facilitating the deportation of migrants staying in the EU illegally.
This decision by the European Union is anticipated to exert significant political and economic pressure on the Horn of Africa, particularly within Somalia and its neighboring regions. Due to decades of internal instability, security challenges, and severe droughts driven by climate change, many Somali citizens migrate to Europe in search of a better life. The tightening of visa restrictions by the EU not only casts a shadow over diplomatic relations but also raises fears that a mass return of thousands of rejected asylum seekers could place an additional burden on Somalia’s fragile economic and social infrastructure, though the EU maintains the sanctions will remain in place unless cooperation improves.
