On May 5, 2019, Bareedo Platform, in partnership with the Refugees Affairs Department (RAD), organized an impactful awareness-raising and advocacy campaign at Reception Center One in Bosaso, Puntland. The session brought together local authorities, migration officials, and migrant community leaders to discuss the urgent realities faced by over 30,000 migrants living in Puntland—most of whom are from Ethiopia.

The event focused on promoting migrants’ rights, safe migration practices, and enhancing collaboration between communities and institutions. Government actors such as RAD and the Migration Response Center (MRC) shared information on the support services available to migrants, while community representatives voiced pressing concerns about legal status, exploitation, and lack of access to justice.

Voices from the Field: Presentations and Perspectives

Mr. Burhan Huruse Hashi, Director of RAD, clarified the different categories of people on the move—migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers—and explained the tailored support systems available to each. He highlighted the government’s partnership with UNHCR in providing reception, legal aid, healthcare, education, and psychosocial support for refugees, while also noting that 60% of registered migrants in Puntland are Ethiopian nationals.

Mr. Barkhad Hamud from MRC Bosaso elaborated on the services provided to migrants, including registration, legal support, protection for survivors of gender-based violence, and referrals for trafficked or exploited individuals. The MRC collaborates with organizations like IOM, UNHCR, and DRC to ensure migrants receive holistic care.

Mr. Abdikareem Guled of Bareedo Platform emphasized the organization’s advocacy for inclusive migration policies, safe migration awareness, and capacity-building for duty bearers. He reiterated Bareedo’s role in monitoring mixed migration flows and supporting migrant-responsive service delivery.

Perhaps most powerfully, Ms. Yasmin Salah, a representative of the migrant community, gave voice to the daily struggles of migrants in Bosaso. She spoke of poor living conditions, lack of legal documentation, wage exploitation, and arbitrary detention—urging stakeholders to take immediate, rights-based action.

The Issues Are Clear. The Action Must Be Collective

Key issues raised during the session included:

• Absence of legal identity documents for most migrants
• Poor enforcement of labor protections and widespread wage theft
• Weak communication channels between migrants and government institutions
• Limited access to legal aid and redress mechanisms
• Inadequate support for GBV survivors and trafficked individuals
• Overcrowded detention centers with hundreds of detained migrants
• Language and cultural barriers limiting access to services

What Needs to Be Done: Recommendations from the Field

The report concluded with eight concrete action points, including:

• Launching mobile documentation clinics and legal awareness sessions
• Strengthening labor protections and complaint mechanisms
• Training police on rights-based detention practices
• Providing multilingual information materials
• Enhancing referral systems for vulnerable migrants
• Establishing Migrant Advisory Committees
• Building capacity among government and civil society stakeholders
• Improving data systems to monitor mixed migration flows and detention trends

A Shared Responsibility for Dignity and Rights

The Bosaso campaign session reaffirmed that ensuring migrant dignity, protection, and inclusion is a shared responsibility. The voices of migrants—especially women, exploited workers, and those in detention—must not be overlooked. With collective action from government, civil society, and international partners, Puntland can take meaningful steps toward a rights-based migration framework.

Bareedo Platform remains committed to championing migrant rights, amplifying community voices, and bridging gaps between policy and practice.

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📌 For more information or to collaborate, contact: info@bareedo.org