Somalia’s Internal Security Minister has arrived in Helsinki Finland for a series of meetings aimed at resolving the current crisis of asylum seekers rejected by the Scandinavian country.
Islow has met his host Finland’s Minister of the Interior Kai Mykkänen to seek and an agreement is expected to be signed that would see the return of Somalia asylum seekers.
A statement from the Finland government indicated that top on the agenda will be cooperation regarding returnees.
Thousands of Somalia nationals fleeing conflict have been rejected in the asylum seeking processes in the Scandinavian countries creating a crisis that Mogadishu and Helsinki are now seeking to resolve.
During the Hassan Sheikh Mohamud administration the government rejected the deportation of its nationals whose request for asylum had been unsuccessful.
“It is important for Finland to promote cooperation in return issues as effective cooperation in this field benefits both countries” the statement said.
Scandinavian countries which in the 90s and early 2000s were welcoming to Somali refugees have issued tough laws regarding asylum seekers.
Upon their return each of the returnee is offered close to $25000 to resume life in Somalia.
However from interviews conducted by Radio Dalsan on a number of returnees it became clear that some did not receive the money channelled through the Immigration Department.
During his stay, Minister of Internal Security Islow will learn about the work of the Finnish Police, the Finnish Border Guard and the Finnish Immigration Service.
Islow is accompanied by the head of the Somali immigration agency Mohamed Adam Jimale.
“Finland supports the stability of Somalia and the strategic reform of the Somali police sector, for example, by participating in EU and UN civilian crisis management missions, EUCAP Somalia and the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM)”
Currently the Scandinavian country has three national police experts serving in the UNSOM mission and four national experts taking part in EUCAP Somalia.
