DHOOBLEY, Somalia — Police in the southern Somali border town of Dhoobley have arrested a group of young men accused of planning an illegal migration journey through Kenya, as authorities intensify efforts against human trafficking networks.
Security officials said the youths had travelled from the capital, Mogadishu, and were allegedly attempting to cross the Somalia-Kenya border clandestinely before continuing toward Libya and eventually Europe.
The group was intercepted at a police checkpoint on the outskirts of Dhoobley in the Lower Juba region after officers conducted searches of vehicles and passengers entering the town.
Police officials said the vehicles were initially stopped after several passengers failed to provide valid identification documents or legal guarantees permitting entry into the area.
Further investigations by criminal investigation officers later revealed that some of the youths were allegedly preparing to cross the border illegally into Kenya as part of a wider migration route organised by traffickers, officials said.
The arrests come as Somalia’s federal government and regional administrations step up campaigns aimed at curbing irregular migration among Somali youth, many of whom undertake dangerous journeys toward Europe through smuggling networks.
Authorities say the crackdown also reflects tightening migration policies across the region, with several countries strengthening visa and border controls to limit illegal migration routes.
Police in Dhoobley said operations aimed at securing border areas and dismantling illegal trafficking activities would continue, adding that the measures were intended to protect Somali youth and combat human smuggling groups.
Security officials also urged young Somalis to avoid irregular migration routes and warned of the dangers posed by trafficking networks operating across the Horn of Africa and North Africa.
