Brussels, Belgium — European Union ministers have moved towards tighter visa restrictions for Somali nationals, accusing Mogadishu of failing to cooperate on the return of citizens with no right to remain in Europe.
Home affairs ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday said the number of Somali nationals arriving irregularly in the EU had more than doubled between 2024 and 2025, with smuggling networks facilitating many of the journeys.
The Council of the EU said ministers had focused on what it called Somalia’s “inadequate cooperation” on the readmission of its citizens and had given guidance on proposed restrictive visa measures.
“They also discussed how the EU could strengthen its response to migrant smuggling networks, both in Somalia and in transit countries,” the Council said after the meeting.
The Council did not announce a final decision or spell out the exact measures under consideration.
But the move builds on a European Commission proposal first tabled in 2024 that would temporarily suspend some visa facilitation rules for Somali nationals under the EU Visa Code.
Under that proposal, Somali applicants would face a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15, have to submit a full set of supporting documents with every application and, in principle, receive only single-entry visas.
The proposal would also suspend the optional visa fee waiver for holders of Somali diplomatic and service passports.
