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Nordic mission to Somalia

By Liz Fekete

1 March 1996

A Nordic mission of four civil servants from Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden was sent to Somalia for a few weeks to investigate whether rejected Somalian asylum-seekers can be deported back to Somalia or not.

The visit was shrouded in secrecy - delegates' names were not made public and journalists have been denied the right to interview them. Although the report's findings will eventually be made public, its actual details will be kept secret.

In Finland, dozens of Somalians were refused asylum status and are awaiting decisions by the directorate of immigration on whether they will be deported or not. If a deportation order is issued against someone, he or she can still technically appeal to the supreme administrative court. The Danish delegate on the mission said that the delegation's goal was not to get the go-ahead to deport Somalis but to provide background material which will help inform government bodies when making asylum and deportation decisions.

The mission was delayed from last September because Norway thought that the security situation in Somalia was too dangerous. International observers reported that the security situation in Somalia was not good enough for refugees to return to the country.

Helsingin Sanomat 10, 31.1.96, 1.2.96

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