Subject: The Right to Return is Not For Sale: A Call to Abolish the E-Visa for Somali Citizens
Excellencies,
We write to you today not as foreigners, but as your sons and daughters. We are the doctors, engineers, students, truck drivers, and entrepreneurs who were scattered to the winds by the storm of civil war. We are the ones who have kept the heart of Somalia beating from afar, through decades of relentless hardship.
Our remittances have been the bedrock of the nation’s survival, providing a lifeline for millions of our relatives and funding the very foundations of recovery. Our investments are rebuilding our cities, our skills are desperately needed, and our love for our homeland is unwavering.
Yet, we are now met with a profound and painful betrayal: the Somali E-Visa system.
This policy places a digital tollbooth at the border of our own country. It demands a ransom for a right that is inherent, sacred, and guaranteed by the Provisional Federal Constitution of Somalia—the right of every Somali citizen to return to their homeland.
To us, this is not modernization; it is monetization of our citizenship. It is a message that our value is measured in foreign currency, not in our shared blood, our sacrifices, or our enduring hope for Somalia.
Therefore, we, the undersigned members of the global Somali diaspora, state our unequivocal opposition to the E-Visa requirement for Somali citizens and dual nationals. We declare that the right to return is fundamental and must not be taxed.
We demand the following:
1. Immediate Suspension: The immediate and unconditional suspension of the E-Visa mandate for all Somali passport holders and dual nationals.
2. Constitutional Review: A full, transparent, and public review by independent Courts to affirm that this policy does not violate our fundamental rights as citizens.
3. Inclusive Dialogue: The formation of a committee with genuine representation from the diaspora and Federal Member States to design a dignified and modern entry system that facilitates—rather than penalizes—the return of Somalis.
The diaspora is not a resource to be extracted from; we are partners to be embraced. This policy risks alienating the very people who possess the resources, skills, and passion to lead Somalia into a prosperous future.
Do not extinguish our hope. Do not lock the door to those who helped build the house.
We await your immediate action.
Respectfully,
The Somali Diaspora
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This open letter is endorsed by: Somali Diaspora Associations Across Europe, North America, and the Gulf, The Somali Economic Forum, The Somali Youth Development Network, and the countless individual sons and daughters of Somalia who demand the right to return home with dignity.
Warsame Policy & Media Network (WAPMEN) 