In a dramatic twist, on the night of February 19, 2025, the president of Puntland ordered that illegal foreign entrants seeking to break into the region should be suspended. It is a part of the government’s continuing effort to initiate a solution to the crisis of security in the region, and for properly controlling immigration into the autonomous region.
The presidential decree gave immediate orders to the ministries of Security, Internal Affairs, Civil Aviation, and Ports, asking for them to fully carry out to the elements. The Somali Immigration and Naturalization Authority has also been brought in and will play a vital role in the implementation of the policy.
The decree ordered that all foreign nationals entering Puntland without legal means commencing from the day of the order will be stopped from entering Puntland. The decision, further, anticipates that there shall be forthcoming promulgation on the strict laws regulating the entry of foreign nationals to Puntland, thus signifying Puntland’s course towards its self-direction and independent immigration policy away from the purview of the central government in Mogadishu.
This comes after actions by the Islamic State group that had recently launched some attacks in Puntland, following which the regional state has discovered that numerous fighters operating from within it are largely foreigners. The task of tracking down and ejecting illegal foreigners, especially those who find their way into the region unlawfully, appears to have intensified in response to heightened security threats.
This latest directive from President Deni makes it even clearer that there is rising tension between Puntland and the central government based in Mogadishu, as Puntland is seeking greater autonomy in handling issues in the areas of security and immigration, which is monumental in the complex federal setup of Somalia.
Both Puntland’s capability to tighten its own securityary measures and independent regulation are becoming interactive in the political context. So how the government will handle their own borders and immigration issues seems destined to remain a focal point of political discussion in the region. This already sounds like a clarion call for great discussions on the growing role of Puntland in Somalia’s federal system and relations with the central government.