Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security, General Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag, officially launched a three-year Regional Counter-Smuggling Programme in Mogadishu on Thursday, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Kingdom Border Security Command, to combat migrant smuggling, document fraud, and transnational organised crime across Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
The initiative targets criminal networks that exploit weak border management and limited information-sharing to facilitate irregular migration, leaving migrants vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. It comes as Somalia’s federal government pushes to modernise its immigration and border systems amid persistent security challenges, with the Horn of Africa remaining a major transit route for smuggling and human trafficking.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Minister Fartaag described secure borders and airports as a cornerstone of Somalia’s national security strategy, stressing that the Federal Government is prioritising investment in professional, well-trained security institutions capable of responding to evolving threats.
“Protecting our borders is fundamental to safeguarding Somalia’s security, facilitating legitimate travel and trade, and preventing transnational crime,” the minister said.
The programme will focus on modernising border management, upgrading airport security systems, enhancing the detection of fraudulent travel and identity documents, supporting intelligence-led operations, improving inter-agency coordination, and promoting protection-sensitive responses to migrant smuggling and related crimes.
According to the IOM, the initiative will strengthen the operational capacity of national security institutions and expand international cooperation to support the country’s stabilisation efforts. The programme also aims to promote closer cooperation between Somalia and neighbouring countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, to address cross-border human smuggling networks.
Officials say the initiative will introduce internationally recognised border management practices and align Somalia’s border systems with global standards, helping facilitate legitimate travel while reinforcing measures against cross-border security threats.
The launch follows years of IOM support for Somalia’s immigration and border management systems, with capacity-building work previously funded by the UK, the Netherlands, the United States, Finland, and Japan. No budget figures for the programme were disclosed.
