Abdiweli Abdullahi Ahmed, one of the rejected asylum seekers told Sunatimes that their lawyer informed them that they will be sent back to Mogadishu soon following the government’s decision to do so mid last month.

Ahmed said 76 Somalis including children and women who arrived in the Netherlands illegally sought refuge only to find their application for refugee status rejected after one year of undocumented stay in the country.

The rejected asylum seekers urged the Somali government to intervene the situation and asked the Dutch government to immediately halt all plans to return Somalis to war-torn Somalia, saying that the plan is contrary to UN refugee guidelines, which advise against all deportations to south-central Somalia.

Ahmed said they protested the government move to reject their application on several occasion but they were not listened to, adding that they are now pitching tents in transit camp waiting for deportation.