Somalia's president:

“Take back every refugee from Germany”

From the left: Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz

(Bild: AFP/Odd Andersen)

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud made people sit up and take notice with a surprising promise on Tuesday: He would take back "every refugee from Somalia who does not have a residence permit here with you in Germany", he promised German head of government Olaf Scholz.

Somalia is known, among other things, for famine in the country and as a stronghold of pirates. German warships patrolled the coast for 14 years to protect merchant ships.

On Tuesday, Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). According to Bild, he brought a promise with him. "I will take back every refugee from Somalia who does not have a residence permit here in Germany or who has not integrated here," he said.

"Country has become safer"
His country had "become safer, we are no longer just a country in civil war." At the same time, Sheikh Mohamud pointed out that there is still a fight against terrorist militias such as IS. "But we have pushed them back."

This is also in the interests of the very large community of Somalis here in Germany, who get on well here and are well integrated.

Scholz zu Abschiebungen Krimineller

More than 60,000 Somalis live in Germany today, and 5800 people from the country have applied for asylum so far this year. Only "a small number" do not have the right to stay, said Scholz. The main aim is to deport criminals. "This is also in the interests of the very large community of Somalis here in Germany, who get on well here and are well integrated," the politician stated.

In future, Scholz and Sheikh Mohamud agreed that repatriation should be swift and quick. "We must once again become a home for our citizens. Also for those who live in Germany (...)", said Somalia's president.

Wants to attract German investors
He also announced that he wanted to attract investors from Germany. His country has mineral resources, large agricultural areas and fishing grounds, for example. "We need trust (...), not just development funds."