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
Bareedo Platform Somalia supported the Department of Refugees, Returnees and Mixed Migrants (DRRMM) under the Ministry of Interior of Puntland, in development and designing of a set of comprehensive tools and operational procedures for managing mixed migration. This support and technical assistance significantly strengthened the department’s institutional capacity to monitor and respond to complex and evolving migration flows across the region. Bareedo Platform also contributed to enhancing the technical skills of both frontline and central staff in critical areas such as data collection, entry, analysis, and reporting.
As a result of this technical assistance, DRRMM began producing monthly, quarterly, and annual mixed migration movement reports, based on data collected from key entry points—including Tukaraq, Dhahar, and Alxamdulilah—and exit points such as Bosaso, Ceelaayo, and Mareero in Puntland, Somalia. These data outputs have played a crucial role in supporting evidence-based planning, policy-making, and protection programming.
Accurate and timely data production plays a critical role in shaping effective responses to mixed migration. In dynamic contexts like Puntland—where migration flows are driven by a complex mix of conflict, economic hardship, environmental factors, and cross-border mobility—producing, managing, and analyzing migration data is essential for government authorities, humanitarian actors, and development partners.
In summary, data production is not just a technical activity—it is a foundational pillar of effective, humane, and rights-based migration governance. Investments in data systems, capacity building, and information-sharing mechanisms—like those supported by Bareedo Platform and DRRMM—are essential to ensure that migration in Puntland is managed responsibly, inclusively, and in the best interest of both migrants and host communities.
Bareedo Platform Somalia successfully conducted a targeted capacity-building training for staff of the Department of Refugees, Returnees, and Mixed Migrants under the Ministry of Interior of Puntland.
This is part of part of Bareedo Platform’s ongoing commitment to advancing safe migration practices and institutional capacity in Puntland.
The two-day training, held from November 5 to 6, 2015, in Bosaso, Puntland, brought together 29 key staff members from across the migration monitoring spectrum. These included:
Facilitated by an expert from Bareedo Platform, the sessions provided intensive technical instruction focused on enhancing participants’ competencies in data collection, data entry, migration flow analysis, and accurate reporting. Emphasis was placed on ensuring consistency, reliability, and timeliness in migration-related information management.
This training is part of a broader initiative by Bareedo Platform to strengthen the institutional foundations of Puntland’s mixed migration monitoring system, equipping relevant departments with the tools, skills, and methodologies required for effective decision-making and protection programming.
By investing in the human capital behind migration monitoring, Bareedo Platform has not only improved day-to-day operations but also contributed to the regular and systematic production of reliable migration flow data across Puntland. This data plays a crucial role in informing humanitarian responses, policy development, and regional coordination on migration governance.
Bareedo Platform remains committed to supporting the Government of Puntland and its key agencies in building a migration system that is transparent, rights-based, and responsive to the complex realities facing both host and migrant communities in the Horn of Africa.
Bareedo Platform Somalia played a pivotal role in supporting the Puntland Government—particularly the Department of Refugees, Returnees and Mixed Migrants (DRRMM) under the Ministry of Interior—in developing and institutionalizing comprehensive tools and operational procedures for managing mixed migration. Through a close and sustained partnership, Bareedo Platform enhanced the government’s ability to monitor, coordinate, and respond effectively to dynamic migration flows across Puntland.
This collaboration focused on advancing a data-informed and protection-sensitive approach to migration governance by providing direct technical assistance, delivering targeted capacity building, and designing standardized operational frameworks and monitoring tools. These efforts significantly strengthened the operational capacity of the DRRMM and its affiliated staff, especially those working at key entry and exit points, as well as within the central migration data management unit.
Development of Mixed Migration Operational Procedures and Monitoring Tools
To institutionalize a consistent and effective approach to mixed migration management, Bareedo Platform led and supported the design, development, and rollout of several key tools and frameworks, including:
1. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Management and Reception of Mixed Migrants
This SOPs provides clear, step-by-step guidance for government officials, humanitarian actors, and service providers on the reception, registration, and assistance of mixed migrant populations. The document outlines standard procedures for initial reception, case registration, referral pathways, and delivery of basic services. It also includes specific protocols for conducting awareness-raising sessions on migration-related risks, such as smuggling, trafficking, and exploitation—ensuring migrants receive timely, life-saving information during their arrival process.
2. Mixed Migration Movement Monitoring Forms
Two user-friendly, standardized data collection forms were developed to enable frontline staff to collect accurate, disaggregated data on migration movement flows. These forms capture data disaggregated into gender, age, country of origin, and push/pull factors influencing mobility.
The tools support real-time monitoring of both inbound (entry) and outbound (departure) movements, contributing to a timely and evidence-based understanding of migration dynamics across Puntland, Somalia.
3. Mixed Migration Data Collection Process Diagram
A visual process diagram was created to map out the entire data collection lifecycle—from point-of-entry and exit collection to centralized analysis and dissemination. This diagram clarifies the roles and responsibilities of field teams, data clerks, supervisors, and analysts at every stage of the data flow. It enhances coordination and ensures accountability in data handling across all locations.
4. Data Recording and Analysis Tools
Bareedo Platform also developed a suite of recording and analysis tools, including digital forms, summary templates, and a basic database system to standardize the way data is compiled, cleaned, and analyzed. These tools empower both field staff and central analysts to transform raw migration data into actionable insights that can inform planning, protection, and response interventions.
These technical interventions have had a transformative impact on Puntland’s migration management system. They significantly enhanced the institutional capacity of the Department of Refugees, Returnees and Mixed Migrants (DRRMM) to manage complex and evolving migration flows across the region. Through targeted training and the introduction of standardized tools, the program improved the technical skills of both frontline and central staff in key areas such as data collection, entry, analysis, and reporting.
The development and rollout of operational procedures and monitoring tools led to the standardization of practices and protocols across various locations, thereby reducing inconsistencies and improving the overall quality and coordination of service delivery. As a result, the department was able to systematically produce and manage migration flow data between 2016 and 2021, enabling more timely, data-informed responses and targeted protection programming.
By embedding these tools and practices within the department’s regular operations, Bareedo Platform contributed to the creation of a more coordinated, transparent, and effective mixed migration monitoring system. This progress laid a solid foundation for long-term policy development and enhanced cross-border migration governance throughout Puntland.
