Tackling Tahrib in Somaliland
Somaliland is at the center of the migrant crisis in the Horn of Africa. With outflows of people from Somaliland trying to reach Europe, and inflows of foreigners from bordering countries like Ethiopia transiting through en route to Yemen and the Gulf countries, Somaliland has been profoundly affected by the current global phenomenon of mass migration. The government is confronting this crisis. Horizon Institute undertook research from November 2017 to December 2019 to document how the Somaliland government is responding to irregular migration. It found that with moves towards law reform and prosecutions of alleged smugglers, Somaliland’s criminal justice system is playing a leading role. Tackling Tahriib in Somaliland: The Legal Response to Irregular Migration details these findings and sets out recommendations for building on these efforts. The key findings, based on 167 interviews with migrants, family members, prosecutors, judges, Immigration and other government officials, are detailed below: