By Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Thousands of Somali immigrants in Saudi Arabia have been deported to the war torn city of Mogadishu, reports Human Rights Watch.  Calling the government’s policy “inhumane,” the rights organization has found that roughly 2000 Somali immigrants have been sent back into the war zones of Mogadishu since this summer.  International law prohibits the forcible return of refugees to any place where they may face further oppression and violence. 

Noting that the deportations have placed hundreds of refugee children back in harm’s way, Rona Peligal, the Africa Director at Human Rights Watch stated “[d]eporting anyone to a war zone like Mogadishu is inhumane, but returning children is beyond comprehension.”  The human rights situation in Somali remains abysmal as domestic conflict continues to engulf the country.  The United Nations estimates that approximately 1.4 million civilians have been displaced in recent years and up to 270,000 civilians have fled the capital city in the last year alone. 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reiterated these concerns and called upon the Saudi government to stop the deportation of Somali refugees from the country.   The U.N. agency stressed that civilians face a “risk of serious harm” in Somali.   The Saudi government ignored the U.N.’s initial demands in July of this year to stop deportations of Somali immigrants and it appears that a change in policy is unlikely in the near future. 

Saudi Arabia has not been the only country receiving international condemnation for deportations.  In July, Human Rights Watch and the UN criticized the government of the Netherlands for forcibly deporting Somali refugees back to their home country, citing similar fears that civilians face continued violence in the country.  Ensuring the safety of Somali refugees continues to be an important goal for the United Nations.  Despite initiatives to protect and facilitate the resettlement of displaced citizens, more action is necessary at the national level to prevent the deportations of those fleeing internal conflict.

For more information please see,

Agence France Presse – Saudi Deportations to Mogadishu Inhumane: HRW – Dec. 22, 2010

Human Rights Watch – Saudi Arabia: Stop Deporting Somalis to Mogadishu – Dec. 22, 2010

Human Rights Watch – Somalia Documents / Reports – 2010

Africa News – Somalia: UNHCR Decries Saudi Arabia’s Deportation of Somalis – July 26, 2010