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Italy has suspended the issuance of Schengen visas for Somali citizens, marking a significant shift in the European Union’s broader tightening of immigration controls by the Italian Embassy in Nairobi on via their X account.
Over the past decade, the Somali passport has made impressive strides, climbing from a lowly 128th place to 95th on the Passport Power Rank. However, challenges remain regarding its issuance and the perception it holds in other countries.
While the embassy did not provide specific reasons for this decision, sources informed The EastAfrican that the suspension followed the discovery of fraudulent applications involving individuals with diplomatic passports seeking Schengen visas.
In a statement, the Embassy of Italy in Nairobi, Kenya, announced, “Please be informed that the issuance of entry Schengen visas has been suspended with immediate effect.” This suspension affects all applications submitted in Mogadishu. The embassy suspects that many individuals applying for diplomatic passports may not be traveling for official purposes, raising concerns about potential violations.
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The Schengen visa allows non-European Union nationals to make short visits—up to 90 days within any 180-day period—to countries within the Schengen area, which includes Italy. Typically, travelers can enter a Schengen country with a visa from that nation and then move freely within the Schengen area, as long as they stay within its external borders.
Each member state of the Schengen zone is responsible for ensuring that visa applicants provide accurate and complete information, which is then shared with other member countries.
This recent decision could affect the standing of Somalia’s passport.
According to the Passport Index, since 2019, Somalia’s passport has seen significant improvement in its mobility score—the measure of how easily its holders can travel globally. The score has risen from 32 during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic to 46, marking its highest level in 30 years.
The passport remains the most difficult among East African Community nations to travel on, requiring visas to 152 countries, with 34 countries granting it visas on arrival and just 10 granting holders visa-free entry.
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Somalia has made notable progress in its passport power rank, climbing to 95—an impressive leap of about 20 spots over the past decade. The Passport Index, which relies on data from the International Air Transport Association and the Global Mobility Report, shows that the Somali passport now outranks those of countries like Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
-Source : East Africa News
