Somali returnees from Yemen receive support after voluntary repatriation

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali government on Wednesday repatriated 160 Somali nationals from Yemen, where years of insecurity and conflict have affected Somali communities living in the country.

Officials said the returnees included 59 women and children. Some had lived in Yemen for decades, while others were born there and were arriving in Somalia for the first time.

He said the number of Somalis returning from Yemen could rise, noting that many Somalis remain in Yemen, including some registered as refugees with the U.N. refugee agency.

Egal said the latest group returned voluntarily and had not been forcibly repatriated.

The returnees were received at a returnee integration centre, where they were provided with medical screening, registration, identification cards, mobile phones and assistance to reach their home areas.

“The government, in cooperation with relevant agencies, is preparing job creation initiatives, training programs and business support to help the returnees reintegrate into society and sustain their livelihoods in Somalia,” he added.

He said the agency is also ready to receive Somali citizens returning from other countries, including Libya, other African countries and India.

The repatriation was carried out in cooperation between Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Officials said the move is part of ongoing efforts to repatriate Somali nationals living in countries affected by conflict and difficult security conditions.