Bareedo Platform promotes Open Government (OG) and as part of this, Bareedo initiates legislative openness and engagement of citizens to the parliamentary work to increase accountability, transparency and access to public information. Bareedo Platform developed the following database to enable citizens and the civil society to learn the parliament well.
Bareedo Platform appreciates Puntland Ministry of Finance for publication of its state revenue and expenditure to the citizens first time. This is first kind of openness to be shown by a budget holder in Somalia and is a time Puntland citizens need greater transparency and accountability from their government. Every year, Puntland collects and spend millions of taxpayer funds to pay for services such as education and healthcare. Citizens have a right to know how their government is collecting and where they are spending their money.
The mayor of Garowe city openly presents the monthly district revenue and expenditure which is a sense of openness and first ever openness amongst the district authorities across Puntland. Although, the budget is presented in numbers which is hard to the public to understand easily, but it is the beginning of an open government and will influence other districts to do so.
Open government is a culture of governance that promotes the principles of transparency, integrity, accountability and stakeholder participation in support of democracy and inclusive growth. Transparent, accessible, and credible data has emerged as a key tool for safeguarding the integrity of Somalia’s democracy against conflict, corruption, and abuses of power. Data empowers civil society, journalists, and citizens to hold power-holders accountable and to expose and address corruption.
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:
What Needs to Be Done: Recommendations from the Field
The report concluded with eight concrete action points, including:
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.
#MigrantsRights #SafeMigration #Puntland #Bosaso #Refugees #HumanRights #BareedoPlatform
📌 For more information or to collaborate, contact: info@bareedo.org
