By ABDULKADIR KHALIF

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The Somalia passport has been recovering its lost glory over the past decade, rising from a lowly 128th position more than 10 years ago to 95th on the Passport Power Rank. But there are still issues to do with how the document is issued and how other countries see it.

Last week the Italian Embassy, in a surprise notification, suspended issuing Schengen visa to Somali passport holders in Somalia.

The Italian mission did not cite reasons, but sources told The EastAfrican that it had discovered fraudulent applicants holding diplomatic passports who were seeking Schengen visas.

“Please be informed that the Embassy of Italy in Nairobi (capital of Kenya) has suspended with immediate effect the issuance of entry Schengen visas,” it said, indicating that this affects all applications processed in Mogadishu.

The mission then suspected most of those applying for diplomatic passports were not travelling on official trips, making them possible violators.

The Schengen visa is an entry permit for non-European Union nationals to make a short, temporary visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period to a country in the Schengen area of the European Union, to which Italy belongs.

Usually, one can enter on a permit issued by one country but could travel throughout the Schengen area as long as they don’t exit the external borders of these areas.

Each Schengen member state must ensure that applicants provide sufficient and accurate information, which is then shared with partner states.

That decision may impact Somalia’s passport performance.

According to the Passport Index, Somalia’s passport has, since 2019, improved its mobility score, the ease with which one can travel with a document around the world, rising from 32 at the height of Covid-19 to 46 -- its highest level in 30 years.

Visa-free entry

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.

Read: East African passports among weakest worldwide

But the country has risen in its power rank to 95, about 20 levels over the past decade.

The Passport Index draws reliable data from the International Air Transport Association and Global Mobility Report, and indicates that the Somalia passport was ahead Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

The suspension of visas by the Italian mission could be a setback because other Schengen countries could follow suit and travel on diplomatic passports will face severe scrutiny, defeating the reason such passports are issued in the first place: To ease travel of government officials for duty.

Being almost worthless a decade ago, Somali passport was issued by hawkers operating through the unpopular trade market known as Abdallah Shideeye.

Abdallah Shideeye operators were crafty and filled the role of many absent institutions, including the immigration authority, which has since been re-established as the Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA).

Many people were happy to utilise the apparently unauthorised documents, chief among them passports, academic certificates, identity cards and even property title deeds.

Genuine passport

When the Transitional Federal Government established offices in Mogadishu and the African Union peacekeepers backed it up with the security apparatus, all Abdallah Shideeye markets disappeared. It was the rebirth of Somalia’s genuine passport.

Mohamed Mohamud, a frequent traveller to Somalia’s neighbouring countries such as Djibouti and Ethiopia, was pleased when some European countries restored their confidence in the Somalia’s main travel document.

“What delights me is that important European countries, including Italy, Sweden, Belgium and Norway, on separate occasions decided to stamp their visa on our passport,” Mohamud said.

Now that could go. The ICA had, in fact, been reaching out to more countries to recognise the Somalia diplomatic passport, providing details of security features to the foreign countries to ensure it cannot be tampered with or forged.

According to the latest strategic plan by ICA, the Somalia passport is expected to be available to more applicants across the country over the next five years as the agency opens offices and makes applications mostly digital.

Dr Abdillahi Hashi Abib, a legislator in the Somalia Lower House (Peoples’ House) of the parliament, has peitioned the Somali authorities to deal with the matter.

Deep concern

“Dear Minister, I write to you with great urgency and deep concern regarding the reckless and fraudulent visa applications that risk the security of countries that have placed their trust in the official signatures of our government,” he said in a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The legislator cited “a troubling trend” where multiple embassies in Mogadishu announced the suspension of visa issuance to Somali citizens holding civilian, civil servant, and diplomatic passports.

“Your ministry must take swift action to issue a formal Note Verbale (Legitimate) to all embassies in Mogadishu, assuring them that all future visa requests will be legitimate, transparent, and accountable.”