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Switzerland is preparing to deport several Somali nationals to Mogadishu on a secret charter flight, even though the Somali government has not formally approved the operation, according to the Swiss newspaper WOZ – die Wochenzeitung. The plan, organized by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), involves sending migrants who refused to leave voluntarily on a special flight without regular passengers. An internal SEM memo from August advised Zurich officials to drop commercial flight deportations and instead “attempt a special flight” once more candidates had refused to go.
If carried out, this would be Switzerland’s first forced deportation to Somalia in nearly 30 years. The move is particularly sensitive because Somalia has long resisted accepting forced returns due to security and humanitarian risks. The last attempt in 1996 ended badly when two Zurich police officers escorting a deportee were arrested in Mogadishu after an unapproved landing. They were released only after Switzerland paid a ransom and returned the deportee to Zurich. That incident has shaped Swiss policy ever since.
Somalia remains highly unstable, with Al-Shabaab militants controlling parts of the country. Switzerland’s own foreign ministry warns citizens against traveling there. Human rights groups say sending people back under such conditions would breach international law. But Swiss officials argue the planned deportations only target individuals with criminal convictions, a claim disputed by rights advocates who say most are long-term residents posing no danger.
Over the past year, Switzerland has intensified contact with Somali authorities to make deportations easier. A Swiss delegation visited Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency in April 2024, where officials discussed limited forced returns and a possible “Return Policy” in 2025. Later meetings in Nairobi suggested Somali officials were “somewhat open” to the idea but expected continued Swiss support. Switzerland later invited Somali officials to Bern, provided identity-verification equipment, and offered cybersecurity training in Mogadishu. Critics say these moves are part of Switzerland’s strategy to strengthen deportation cooperation through aid and technology support.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, Somali officials have publicly rejected forced deportations, insisting the country is unsafe for returnees. Some Somali politicians claim European nations, including Sweden, have quietly paid or offered aid to facilitate deportations. Swedish media recently revealed that Stockholm authorized secret payments to Somalia’s government to speed up returns. Sweden’s migration minister defended the payments as “migration cooperation,” though opposition leaders called them “bribes.”
Switzerland appears to be following a similar path. The WOZ investigation found that Swiss authorities issued their own travel papers—normally prepared by the receiving country—to push deportations through. Legal experts said this was highly unusual and possibly unlawful since Somalia had not confirmed issuing such documents.
Currently, 61 Somali nationals in Switzerland face deportation orders. Analysts warn that forcing deportations without Somali approval could set a dangerous precedent for other countries that also refuse to cooperate, like Eritrea.
Human rights groups have condemned the plan, calling secret deportation flights a violation of international protection standards. Detainees awaiting deportation can be held for up to 18 months. The SEM memo itself acknowledged that the topic is “highly sensitive in Somalia” but instructed staff to continue preparations for the charter flight. If the flight goes ahead, it would be the first forced deportation from Switzerland to Somalia since 1996—potentially triggering serious diplomatic fallout.