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Interior Minister: Illegal Immigrants Must Leave By Feb 14
ISSUE 107
Front Page
Index

Headlines

- Invitation For President Rayale To Visit UK

- Hargeisa Urban Household Economy Assessment

- Interior Minister: Illegal Immigrants Must Leave By Feb 14

- UN Freezes Support For Printing School Text Books

- Getting Out The Muslim Vote

- Debate Of The Select Committee For International Development On Somaliland,

At The UK House Of Commons, Feb 4, 2004
Health

- Amnesty Urges Africans To End Female Circumcision

- Research May Lead To Ban On Qat In Britain

International News

- UN Rights Expert Call For The Release Of UN Worker

- Slain Taxi Driver Honored At Burial Services

- Calls For US Military Command For Africa
Peace Talks

- Somalia's Fragile Peace Process Shaken by Disputes Over Formal Agreement

- Maintain Peace, Kalonzo Urges Somali Leaders
People

Rescue Heroine Dies In Blaze

Editorial & Opinions

- It’s Our Curriculum

- Reflections On Somaliland & Africa’s Territorial Order, Part II

- The City of Dire Dawa: An Ethnic Melting Pot

Hargeisa, Feb 07, 2004 (SL Times) – Mr. Ismail Adan Osman, Somaliland’s minister of interior disclosed Thursday that all illegal immigrants in the country will be required to leave by the 14th of this month. Mr. Osman said the measure will not affect individuals who come to the country for business, particularly people from Ethiopia’s Somali regional state (Zone 5).

The Minister who was speaking at a press conference also disclosed that a new office has been established within the Migration Department to deal with immigrants affairs in conjunction with the ministry of Interior. He said all illegal immigrants shall register themselves with the new office.

He also said his ministry will consider issuing residence permits for foreign workers. “We have received requests from the business community for permissions to retain foreign workers particularly in the construction, restaurant and hotel sectors.”

The minister appealed to construction firms not to exaggerate their labor requirements. “It is illegal to employ a non-citizen on a job that can be done by a Somalilander, and we will have to screen the long lists on foreign labor needs submitted by local contractors.”

Mr. Osman warned UN and International NGOs against keeping illegal immigrants within their premises after the 14th February deadline.

He said international organizations working in the country have in the past ignored a requirement that they report to the ministry the number and names of illegal workers under their employment. “We,again, ask them to comply with the rules.”

The Somaliland minister of Interior also appealed to members of the public not to mistreat illegal immigrants. “We have to deal with this issue strictly, but also in a way that doesn’t violate the human rights and dignity of the people affected,” he said.

The office of the UN organization for refugees (UNHCR) in Hargeisa has reportedly refused to cooperate with the Somaliland government on the screening of illegal immigrants living in Somaliland for possibly identifying individuals who could be eligible for refugee/asylum status and resettlement in a third country.
 

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