Date of publication:
01/07/2026
Somalia
Do domestic laws and policies provide for people to enter the country for the purpose of seeking asylum?
Assessment by population
Analysis
The Federal Government of Somalia and Somaliland’s legal frameworks uphold the right of asylum-seekers to access their territories, ensuring that individuals fleeing persecution or conflict are not denied entry. Both jurisdictions follow international refugee law principles, which prohibit pushbacks or summary rejections at borders. Domestic legal provisions emphasize that asylum-seekers must be allowed to enter the country and present their claims, regardless of whether they hold valid travel documents. The Somalia Refugees and Asylum Seekers Law and The Puntland Refugee Protection Law explicitly mandates that asylum-seekers who arrive at the border must be given access to the territory and an opportunity to apply for protection. Similarly, Somaliland’s Refugees and Asylum Seekers Law affirms that every individual seeking asylum is entitled to be admitted into the country and have their case assessed before any decision on removal is made. These provisions ensure that Somalia and Somaliland align with international and regional obligations, reinforcing the right to seek asylum as a fundamental protection mechanism.
Related provisions of domestic law or policy
Somalia Refugees and Asylum Seekers Law
- Year: 2023
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Asylum, Education, Freedom of movement, Health, Housing, land & property, Liberty & security of person, Social protection, Work & Workplace rights, Family life, Documentation
Legal provision
Article 18.1 - Somalia Refugee Law:
Any person who meets the criteria set out in Article 11 of this law has the right to enter the country and seek asylum.
Puntland Refugee Protection Law
- Year: 2016
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Asylum, Education, Freedom of movement, Health, Housing, land & property, Liberty & security of person, Nationality & facilitated naturalization, Social protection, Work & Workplace rights, Family life, Documentation
Legal provision
Article 7 - Prohibition of expulsion, “non-refoulement”
No person shall be refused entry into Puntland or extradited from Puntland or returned to any other country or subjected to any similar measure if as a result of such refusal, expulsion or turn or any other measure, such person is compelled to return in a country where: (a) he may be subject to persecution or torture on account of his race, tribe, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion or (b) his life, physical integrity or liberty would be threatened on account of external aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events seriously disturbing public order in part or the whole of that country.
Puntland IDP Guidelines
- Year: 2011
- Type: Domestic policy
- Rights Category: Education, Freedom of movement, Health, Housing, land & property, Liberty & security of person, Social protection, Work & Workplace rights, Family life, Documentation
Legal provision
Article 9.8 - Recognition of a Refugee
A person claiming to be a Refugee shall be permitted to enter and remain in Puntland pending a decision on his application. He shall be given appropriate documentation attesting to his lawful presence