Somali Immigration Chief: “We Work Closely with Other State Institutions to Combat Extremism”

MOGADISHU (AA) – Somali Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA) Director Mustafa Sheikh Ali Dhuhulow stated that they are working in close cooperation with other government institutions to fight extremism, stressing: “We are striving to train our personnel so that the Somali Immigration Agency can work in line with the rest of the world.”

Dhuhulow spoke to an Anadolu Agency correspondent about the work of the Immigration Department.

He highlighted that the Immigration Agency is one of the country’s largest and four federal institutions, operating across Somalia.

“We have more than 400 personnel. Our largest office is in Mogadishu. We also have an office at the airport,” he said.

“The Immigration Agency Was Established in 1946”

Dhuhulow noted that Somalia’s immigration system has a long history, explaining that the institution was founded in 1946, initially as part of the police force and later transferred under the intelligence service.

He emphasized their close collaboration with other state bodies in combating extremist groups:

“We are working hard to ensure that there are no illegal departures from Somalia and that no unauthorized individuals enter our country. We are making strong efforts to prevent extremists such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Al-Shabaab from entering or living in Somalia. In this, we are using one of the best systems in cooperation with the United States.”

He added that they have also signed an agreement with Interpol:

“We work closely with them, especially regarding wanted persons.”

“The Government Fought Al-Shabaab with Support from Our Ally Türkiye”

Continuing his remarks, Dhuhulow underlined the importance of international partnerships:

“We particularly want our brotherly Turkish government to work closely with us, train our staff, and support us in building capacity. As the government progresses and gains international recognition, the Immigration Agency is also developing as part of the system. The government has fought Al-Shabaab with the support of our close ally Türkiye, and in our field, we have also improved our system. The Immigration Agency has become an important institution in many areas.”

Calling Türkiye a true partner, he added:

“The Turks are our brothers; they have been with us for a long time and have helped us a great deal. Turkish Airlines flies to our country every day.”

“We Have Come a Long Way with Türkiye”

Dhuhulow stressed the need for stronger cooperation:

“We have come a long way (with Türkiye), but we especially want them to double their support to Somalia. We want them to work closely with the Immigration Agency, train our personnel, invite us, and share their experiences. We also ask them to help promote our passport at the international level. We want them to continue working with us, supporting us, and helping increase the recognition of our passport.”