On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Somalia LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Somalia country of origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Somalia COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Somalia.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Somalia is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Since 1978, Somalia has been a State party, without reservations, to the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. The country has signed but not yet ratified or acceded to the 1969 Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa.
Legal aid organisations
Website
Tel: +252 (5)8 44 247 or +252 (90) 79 40 76
Contact Person: Mohamud Hamid Mohamed
Email: kaaloorg@yahoo.com or psugarowe@yahoo.com
KAALO Relief and Development is an organisation based in Garowe, Puntland State of Somalia that offers protection and legal aid services to refugee/asylum seekers. They also provide information on legal referral mechanisms to refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs. They regularly monitor and visit detention centers to keep track of detained refugees/asylum seekers and advocate for their release. KAALO also refers refugees and asylum seekers to their partners through which they can receive health, education, and other livelihood and protection opportunities.
KAALO continuously advocates for and supports the protection and integration of refugees and asylum seekers within local communities through advocacy and building awareness on the rights and obligations of refugees and asylum seekers. They also vigorously advocate for and facilitate the creation of a strong legal response mechanism for refugees, asylum seekers and survivors/victims of GBV.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
Their goal is to fight the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which is endemic throughout the region.
Website
Tel.: +39 02 26 68 18 66 (Italy)
Mobile: +252 (0)9 07 79 74 14 (Puntland)
Mobile: +254 (0)7 17 72 30 89 (Kenya)
Email: grt@grtitalia.org (Italy)
Email: puntland@grtitalia.org (Somalia)
Email: operation.nairobi@grtitalia.org (Kenya)
Contact person: Massimiliano Reggi (Italy)
Contact person: Mohamud Isse Farah (Puntland)
GRT is a non-governmental organisation, established in Italy in 1968, and has activities in Somalia since 1996. They provide medical referral to health facilities, formal education for refugee children, non formal education and vocational training, and psychosocial support to vulnerable individuals. Core business in the area is Mental Health and Psychosocial Support and Sexual and Gender Based Violence. They currently have offices in Bosaso, Garowe, Qardho and Galkayo in the Puntland State of Somalia and in Hargeisa (Somaliland), while the regional office is in Nairobi (Kenya) and the HQ in Milan (Italy).
Address: Bossaso Puntland Somalia
Tel: +252 09 07 12 137 or 75 90 70
Contact Person: Ahmed Jama
Email: hopefound.erra@gmail.com
They provide counselling and information to returning Somali refugees and conduct research to raise awareness of the plight of refugees of other nationalities in Puntland. They advise all refugees, who are mainly Ethiopia and Somalian about the dangers of crossing the red sea through Bosaso port. They assist the rape and domestic violence cases, referring for treatment and physiological counselling to the Norwegian Refugee Council or GRT (Gruppo per le Relazioni Transculturali) offices in Puntland.
Tel: +252 (90) 20 64 03
Email: punchad1@gmail.com
Puntland Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (PUNCHAD) is a national, non-political, non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is registered in Puntland, Somalia, has offices in Garowe, Galkaio, and Bossasso, but their activities are coordinated from Nairobi, Kenya. They do not working directly with refugees and do not provide legal aid; instead they do advocacy that is aimed at respect for refugee rights and their ‘integration’. The Centre, an implementing partner of UNHCR, has also done training of government officials. Together with UNHCR, a national legal framework for refugees has been developed. They do not have a website but can be reached by phone and email.
Somalia LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Somalia.
Somalia COI
Find Somalia Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated May 2023