Hargeisa (Kaab TV) – Somaliland’s Minister of Civil Aviation and Airport Development, Fu’aad Ahmed Nuux, together with officials from Somaliland’s UK office, held discussions with members of both chambers of the UK Parliament regarding ways to address the electronic visa (E-Visa) system imposed by the Federal Government of Somalia.
The Minister stated that the discussions with parliamentarians from both houses focused on strengthening relations between Somaliland and the United Kingdom, improving air travel links, and in particular finding ways to overcome the challenges posed by Somalia’s E-Visa system, which has been made mandatory for Somaliland citizens.
“We discussed with the MPs the facilitation of travel procedures, the challenges affecting the movement of British citizens traveling from the UK to Somaliland, and how solutions can be found to address the existing obstacles,” said Minister Fu’aad Ahmed Nuux.
Most of the MPs who took part in the discussions were members of a cross-party parliamentary group known as the Somaliland All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), which advocates for Somaliland’s recognition and frequently raises related debates within the UK Parliament.
The Somali visa system has become a major obstacle for Somaliland citizens traveling from abroad, as both the Somali government and the Somaliland authorities charge separate visa fees.
It has also been reported that many Somaliland travelers have begun arriving through neighboring countries and then entering Somaliland by land.
This marks the first time the Minister has spoken publicly about migration and travel issues since the hacking of Somalia’s visa system. At the time, he stated that the E-Visa challenge had been temporarily resolved after the system was suspended for several days, before later resuming operations.
