Corrupt Somali officials and Mogadishu-based travel agencies are exploiting international labor forums to traffic individuals into Europe, using falsified government roles and diplomatic passports.
The latest scheme involves a network operating within Somalia’s Ministry of Labour, targeting Switzerland as a prime entry point by abusing the country’s visa system for UN events.
According to documents obtained by Horn Observer, a list of 22 individuals was submitted to the Swiss Embassy in Nairobi, claiming they were government advisers and delegates attending the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva from 2–13 June 2025.
However, nearly half of the names were recruited by travel agencies in exchange for bribes ranging between $4,500 and $5,000 per person, this reporter has found.
These agencies falsely advertised quick access to visas for European destinations such as Switzerland and France, taking advantage of the comparatively lenient vetting of visa applications tied to diplomatic travel.
Geneva, a city that hosts numerous United Nations offices, has become a preferred route for Somali traffickers, who disguise illegal migration as participation in official government delegations.
Insiders claim these operations are supported by senior officials in the Ministry of Labour, including the current minister, Yusuf Mohamed Aden, who allegedly receives kickbacks for every individual sent with his ministry’s credentials.
A director within the ministry told Horn Observer he could not recognize any of the individuals listed as ministry staff or advisers.
“The strange thing is that our ministry has no travel budget enough to sustain such large delegation, and as you are aware the Somali government cannot afford to send such a large delegation to Geneva. So who is paying for them?” he asked.
“That clearly indicates that this is not a genuine thing.”
Further investigation revealed major discrepancies between the submitted list and actual government records. One example is Farah Mohamed Yusuf, listed as an adviser and substitute delegate, who lives and works in Nairobi as a reporter for the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Another is Maryan Ahmed Mohamed, named as a government official despite not appearing in any official payroll or records within the ministry, whereas Abdifatah Dahir Jeyte works as a director at the Ministry of information and has no role to play at the the Ministry of Labor, which further discredits the list of the people planning to travel to Switzerland.
These individuals have already traveled to Nairobi, where they are awaiting visa issuance at the Swiss Embassy. Both Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Somali Ambassador in Nairobi declined to respond to inquiries.
According to Abdijabar Mohamed, a regional expert monitoring trafficking networks in East Africa, traffickers have adapted their methods, now relying on internal government connections and social media to recruit those willing to pay for fraudulent travel.
“They target people who can afford the fees—regardless of who they are. The network handles everything: issuing passports without due diligence, government ID cards, and even visa application paperwork. They make it look completely legitimate,” he explained.
This is not the first time Somali government structures have been implicated in such operations. In November 2024, Ireland arrested a Somali diplomat based in Saudi Arabia for smuggling individuals using diplomatic passports through Asia and Europe.
The diplomat was part of a wider organized trafficking ring and remains unnamed.
In response to similar concerns, the Italian and Turkish embassies in Somalia suspended visa processing last year after uncovering evidence that a senior official at Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was linked to human trafficking operations. No arrests have yet been made.
In October 2024, two senior officials responsible for immigration and airport security at Mogadishu International Airport were dismissed after being implicated in trafficking, forged British and American passport and possible ties to extremist groups, according to Somali police sources.
Despite mounting evidence, criminal trafficking networks in Somalia continue to operate with impunity—undermining governance, eroding public trust, and violating fundamental human rights.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) office in Somalia has not responded to multiple inquiries about the matter.
Switzerland a Prime Target for Somalia’s Human Trafficking Network Exploiting ILO Credentials
