Mogadishu (KAAB TV) – Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is embroiled in a mounting scandal following revelations that consultants within the firm secretly developed a controversial model suggesting the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to countries including Somalia and Somaliland, prompting widespread condemnation and scrutiny.
The model—crafted as part of postwar reconstruction planning for Gaza—envisioned that up to 25% of Gazans might voluntarily choose to relocate, largely without return. It projected up to $4.7 billion in economic benefits for hosting nations over an initial four‑year period.
BCG rapidly distanced itself from the project, stating the work was unauthorized, conducted without management approval, and diverged from internal policies. Two senior partners involved have been dismissed, and the firm is undergoing an external investigation.
In the UK, Parliament’s Business and Trade Committee is demanding details regarding BCG’s involvement, with calls for transparency on timelines, oversight failures, and policy breaches. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has also requested the State Department share any findings from BCG’s internal review.
International reaction has been fierce. The United Nations likened elements of the model to ethnic cleansing, while European and Arab states condemned it as a destabilizing and legally dubious scheme.
Somalia’s federal government firmly rejected any involvement in resettlement plans, denouncing such proposals as grave violations of international humanitarian law. Somalia’s foreign ministry reiterated that reports were based on rumors, and regions like Puntland and Somaliland have no mandate to participate in such schemes.
The fallout has extended into the humanitarian sector: Save the Children suspended its collaboration with BCG, calling its modeled relocation plan “utterly unacceptable,” raising profound ethical and legal concerns.