The European Union has introduced a series of visa restrictions on Somali citizens, ending multiple-entry Schengen visas, extending processing times from 15 to 45 days, and scrapping fee exemptions for diplomatic passport holders along with several simplified procedures. The measures reflect broader EU frustration over Mogadishu's cooperation on the return of irregular migrants, a pressure tactic the bloc has previously used against The Gambia (2021) and Ethiopia (2024), both of which had their restrictions lifted in May this year after improving cooperation. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, speaking at celebrations marking the country's 66th independence anniversary, said Somalia was willing to accept its nationals back but insisted that returnees be verified as genuinely Somali, claiming that some migrants from elsewhere in the Horn of Africa falsely claim Somali nationality to seek asylum in Europe.