The Puntland regional government has tightened procedures for issuing passports, especially for young people, after an increase in the number of young people traveling to migrate.
The move comes as security forces have arrested many young people suspected of planning to migrate in recent weeks in Garowe while preparing to travel.
According to officials from the Puntland Criminal Investigation Agency, the requirement to provide a clean bill of health, which is one of the requirements for a person who wants to apply for a passport, has been tightened.
The move is part of efforts to control the flow of young people leaving the country as migrants.
“We have found that many young people who are applying for passports are those who are going to migrate, and this has forced us to look closely at the applications, especially those of young people,” said an official from the Puntland Criminal Investigation Agency who spoke to HOL.
These developments come at a time when many young people who left Puntland’s regions have died in the Mediterranean Sea.
