154 Somali refugees return home from Yemen with UNHCR support
154 Somali refugees return home from Yemen with UNHCR support
After years away from home, 154 Somali refugees returned from Yemen to Somalia on 26 August through UNHCR’s Assisted Spontaneous Return (ASR) programme.
After years away from home, 154 Somali refugees returned from Yemen to Somalia on 26 August through UNHCR’s Assisted Spontaneous Return (ASR) programme, taking an important step towards rebuilding their lives in their country of origin. The returnees were received in Mogadishu by UNHCR and the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRI). The return was coordinated among UNHCR operations in Yemen, Somalia and two concerned Bureaux. The movement was the second facilitated return from Yemen to Somalia in August, following the return of 155 Somali refugees earlier in the month. Against the backdrop of UNHCR’s global 50by35 initiative, the movements reflect continued efforts to support Somali refugees in Yemen who make an informed and voluntary decision to return home.
Supporting informed and voluntary return
Returning home after years as a refugee is a deeply personal decision, shaped by individual circumstances, aspirations and hopes for the future. Through the ASR programme, UNHCR supports Somali refugees in other countries who express a wish to return home. Refugees receive counselling and information on conditions in Somalia to help them make an informed decision, as well as practical assistance to facilitate their journey in safety and dignity. At every stage of the process, the decision to return rests with the individual.
“Returning home is more than a physical journey. It’s a life-changing decision for the entire family,” said Jing Song, UNHCR Representative a.i. in Somalia. “Our role is to help people make informed and voluntary choices about return and to support their reintegration once they arrive home. Sustainable returns are just as important as voluntary returns.”
A new chapter at home
Among those returning was Nuriya, a 47-year-old single mother of five, who came home with hopes of rebuilding her life and creating a more secure future for her family.
“Returning home is an important step for me and my family. I am grateful for the support that has helped us make this journey safely and with dignity,” she said. “I am looking forward to rebuilding our lives, reconnecting with our community and creating a better future at home.”
For Nuriya and many other returnees, coming home brings the opportunity to reconnect with family and communities and restore a sense of belonging. But rebuilding after years away can also bring challenges, including accessing essential services, securing livelihoods and re-establishing homes and social networks.
UNHCR and its partners continue to work with national and local authorities and other stakeholders to support returnees as they re-establish their lives in Somalia.
These efforts take place within a broader context in which communities across Somalia continue to face significant humanitarian and socioeconomic challenges. Ensuring that returnees can access services and opportunities alongside the communities receiving them is critical to supporting sustainable reintegration and strengthening social cohesion.
Choice at the center
Voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity is one of the durable solutions available to refugees. For UNHCR, however, the decision to return must always be freely made by the refugee, based on accurate information and an understanding of conditions in the country of origin. Through counselling, information and return assistance, the ASR programme helps Somali refugees in Yemen make informed choices about their future and supports those who decide that returning home is the right option for them. For the 154 Somali refugees who arrived on 26 August, that choice marks the beginning of the next chapter.
Their journey is a reminder that durable solutions are ultimately about people: their choices, their safety and their ability to rebuild their lives with dignity. UNHCR, NCRI and partners will continue working together to support returnees and strengthen pathways towards sustainable reintegration in Somalia.
