Kenya and Somalia seek to repair immigration ties following deportation of Somali officials

Kenya and Somalia seek to repair immigration ties following deportation of Somali officials
Kenya and Somalia seek to repair immigration ties following deportation of Somali officials - Kenya's Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi (left) and Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali Dhaay during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo: Handout)
Kenya's Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi (left) and Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali Dhaay during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo: Handout)

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The agreement follows reports that senior Somali government officials were recently denied entry into Kenya, prompting renewed focus on immigration and cross-border movement between the neighbouring countries.

Somalia and Kenya have agreed to strengthen cooperation on immigration, consular services and cross-border movement following talks between Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali Dhaay and Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on the sidelines of the 49th African Union Executive Council meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The meeting comes amid tensions over the treatment of senior Somali government officials who were recently denied entry into Kenya, sparking concern in Mogadishu and renewed scrutiny of immigration procedures between the neighbouring countries.
Following the talks, Somalia's Foreign Minister said the discussions centred on strengthening bilateral relations while addressing issues related to immigration and regional security.

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"On the sidelines of the AU's 49th Executive Council in Addis Ababa, I met with Musalia Mudavadi to discuss immigration developments and strengthen our bilateral cooperation on regional stability," Abdisalam Ali said.
While neither government disclosed details of the meeting, the commitment to deepen cooperation on immigration, consular affairs and cross-border movement follows a series of incidents involving senior Somali officials travelling to Kenya.
The latest case involved Somalia's State Minister at the Presidency, Abshir Bukhaari, who was denied entry into Kenya after arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and was deported back to Mogadishu.

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According to reports, Kenyan immigration officials questioned the Kenyan passport Bukhaari was using before refusing him entry. He was subsequently placed on a return flight to Somalia after being stopped at the airport.
Bukhaari previously served as the First Deputy Speaker of Somalia's Senate before he was appointed State Minister at the Presidency.
Reports have linked his deportation to concerns over his travel documents. However, neither the Kenyan nor the Somali government has publicly confirmed the reason for the decision, and no official explanation has been issued.
The incident drew further attention because it came just weeks after reports that another senior Somali government official had also been denied entry into Kenya.
Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister, Jibril Abdirashid Haji, was reportedly blocked from entering Kenya over claims that he had improperly obtained a Kenyan passport.
Those reports were widely circulated, but neither Nairobi nor Mogadishu publicly commented on the matter, leaving key questions unanswered.
The two reported incidents have raised concerns about the movement of senior officials between the neighbouring countries, which maintain close political, economic and security ties.
Kenya and Somalia cooperate on trade, regional security and efforts to combat cross-border crime, making the smooth movement of government officials and citizens an important aspect of their bilateral relationship.

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