When the Somali president declared that Somalis in the diaspora with foreign passports are “not Somali,” he dismissed millions of people who never stopped carrying Somalia in their hearts. The statement isn’t just wrong—it’s dangerous.
Diaspora Somalis have rebuilt schools, funded hospitals, sent billions in remittances, and kept families alive during war, famine, and instability. Many fled violence they didn’t create, and holding another citizenship was survival, not betrayal.
Identity isn’t a passport—it’s language, culture, family, history, and love for your people. The president cannot erase the Somali-ness of doctors in London, engineers in Toronto, or entrepreneurs in Nairobi who still introduce themselves as Somali first.
Instead of dividing Somalis, leaders should embrace the diaspora as a strength. The story of Somalia is global. To suggest otherwise is to shrink the nation to borders, when its spirit is boundless.
