- Saudi Arabia continues to deport thousands of men, women, and children to conflict-ridden Somalia while denying them any chance to seek asylum. A new study by the Human Rights Watch says some 12-thousand people have been deported back to Somalia despite warnings by the U-N of instability in the country.
At the Mogadishu international airport, new deportees arrive on a daily basis. Young men, women, with some carrying young babies, only allowed to pick a few of their belongings by the Saudi forces. Anwar, Mohamed and Ahmed are among the recent to be deported back to Mogadishu. They are in their early twenties and are adjusting to their new life after spending all their lifetime in Riyadh. They all served prison sentences while there despite all being born in the Arab nation. Ahmed says that he was jailed for four months before being deported to Somalia. He narrates to us how brutal the Saudi forces are and their disregard for foreigners. Mohamed says he was arrested for no reason. He, along his three friends were born in the Saudi Arabia but have never been treated as nationals. He told us how he was beaten up by the Saudi forces. He however feels happy to be in Somalia, a country he has never seen before. Recently Human Rights Watch in a new report urged Riyadh to end the summary deportations and honor its international obligation of protecting refugees. The deportation of thousands of Somalis from Saudi Arabia comes a month after the world refugee body, UNHCR, warned about the dangerous situation in south central Somalia. Nevertheless, the Somali Interior Ministry expects Saudi Arabia to deport another 30,000 refugees in the coming weeks, further worsening the humanitarian crisis in the African country.
