MOGADISHU, Somalia, September 15, 2026 — Turkey has deported 50 Somali nationals to Mogadishu, including people reported to have medical appointments, students enrolled in education programmes and individuals holding residency documents, according to information received by local media. The group arrived on Tuesday at Aden Adde International Airport through a separate airport section.
The latest group was reportedly flown from Turkey to Somalia amid broader immigration operations targeting Somali nationals in several Turkish cities.
According to local media reports, Turkish authorities have added another 50 Somali detainees to an earlier group of about 150 people who were reportedly detained during immigration operations. The precise legal status of the individuals and the specific grounds for each deportation were not immediately clear.
The Somali government and Turkish authorities had not issued public statements on the reported removals by the time of publication.
Reports said those deported included Somalis who had scheduled medical treatment, were attending school or university programmes, or held legal residency documents in Turkey. These claims could not be independently verified.
The arrival of the group at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport has drawn renewed attention from Somali communities to the treatment of migrants and residents facing immigration enforcement in Turkey.
Concerns Over Legal Status and Case Reviews
The reports have raised questions over whether each case was reviewed individually before deportation, particularly for people said to have active residence permits, ongoing medical needs or education commitments.
Immigration authorities in many countries may detain or remove foreign nationals for reasons including expired documents, visa violations or administrative immigration decisions. However, no official details were immediately available regarding the individual cases involving the Somali nationals deported to Mogadishu.
Community members and diaspora observers have expressed concern that people with unresolved legal matters or valid documentation could be affected by large-scale immigration operations. There was no immediate confirmation that any of the 50 deportees had been removed despite valid legal status.
Turkey hosts a large Somali community, including students, businesspeople, professionals and people receiving medical care. Ankara and Mogadishu have maintained close political, security, education and trade ties for more than a decade.
Neither the Federal Government of Somalia nor Turkish authorities had publicly commented on the reported deportations as of Tuesday.
It was also not immediately known whether Somali diplomatic representatives in Turkey had been notified in advance of the removals or whether they had provided consular assistance to those detained.
Local media reports said the deportations occurred as immigration authorities continued operations in Turkish cities. The locations of the reported detentions and the number of people still being held were not independently confirmed.
Somalia has long relied on Turkey as a major international partner. Turkey provides humanitarian assistance, education scholarships, health services, infrastructure support and security cooperation in Somalia.
Thousands of Somali nationals have travelled to Turkey for study, medical treatment, business and family reasons. As a result, immigration enforcement actions involving Somali nationals can have a direct impact on families and communities in both countries.
The reported deportations also come against the backdrop of wider regional concerns about forced returns. According to the reports, some regional governments have previously opposed the forced deportation of their citizens. Ethiopia has reportedly maintained opposition to the forced removal of Ethiopian nationals from Turkey, although there was no immediate official statement from Addis Ababa on the latest case involving Somali nationals.