Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Somalia on Wednesday rejected reports of a secret aid-for-migration deal with Sweden, calling the claims “completely false” and “baseless.”
The denial from the prime minister’s office followed a Swedish media investigation alleging that development funds were tied to Somalia’s acceptance of deported nationals, an arrangement said to have caused a diplomatic rift earlier this year.
“The Federal Government of Somalia fully denies recent press reports alleging a ‘secret agreement’ between Somalia and Sweden,” the government said in a statement. “These allegations are false, misleading, and without foundation.”
The statement said no clandestine or conditional agreement exists on the return of Somali citizens. It added that aid is managed transparently through established international partners, including the World Bank and the United Nations, and that ties with Sweden are based on “mutual respect and international law.”
“All assistance and development projects provided to Somalia are implemented through open and accountable mechanisms,” the statement said, citing partnerships with the World Bank, the UN, and Somalia’s national financial institutions.
Allegations of a secret pact
The controversy stems from an October 1 report by Swedish Radio News, which cited an internal government email suggesting Sweden’s ambassador to Somalia reached a deal with Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre in December 2023.
According to the report, Sweden would deposit 100 million kronor, about 9 million dollars, into a Somali-Italian trust fund. In return, Somalia would accept deported nationals from Sweden, including people convicted of crimes.
The report said the plan faced resistance within Sweden’s aid agency, Sida, where officials worried the arrangement would give the Somali prime minister’s office excessive control over the funds.
“It’s basically the prime minister’s fund,” said Omar Mahmood, a Somalia analyst with the International Crisis Group, in comments to the broadcaster.
The dispute reportedly led to a diplomatic standoff. After the World Bank blocked part of the payment, Mogadishu halted deportations, arguing Stockholm had not met its side of the deal.
Fallout and Swedish response
Tensions escalated when Somalia expelled Sweden’s head of aid in Mogadishu, Anna Saleem Högberg, whom Somali officials allegedly viewed as an obstacle to disbursement.
The dispute was later resolved in May, after Sweden revised Sida rules to allow remaining funds to be channeled through United Nations Development Programme projects implemented with the Somali prime minister’s office. Deportations then resumed, the report said.
On October 4, Sweden’s Development Minister Benjamin Dousa denied that any funds were directly transferred to Somali politicians.
“No money has gone to the prime minister’s office,” Dousa told Swedish television, according to SVT. He said all funds in the Somalia–Sweden package were routed through the UN to reduce corruption risks.
“It has never been on the table to support politicians directly. Because of the risk of corruption, we never give direct support to politicians or the state. If money were misused, we would immediately pull the brake.”
The episode highlights a broader trend in Europe of linking development aid to migration control. Somalia remains a major aid recipient, with donors funding governance reforms, humanitarian assistance, and security programs as the country works to rebuild institutions after decades of conflict.
