Visa on sell! Paid bulk of money and get rejected with no justification!
Since the Turkish embassy compound is opened in Mogadishu-Somalia, a good number of Somali citizens requested entry visa to the republic of turkey for different purposes including (business, student, tourism etc).
The initial months of embassy operations – the visa applicants where going through process from making appointment, checking their eligibility and confirmation of required documents for both ordinary and official passport holders, Somali citizens who meets visa requirements where obtain visa as a form of a decal endorsed in the applicant’s passport. the process was aligned with immigration law, policies on alliance governments and countries.
What is for now, as the visa applicants increased, An authorized agency to issue visas for Somalia nationals upraised, the murmur of corruption is heard which motivated by Somali young generation with a full of ambitions to move to Europe and other side the corrupted evils grasped as an opportunity while starts grabbing thousands of dollars from mind blowing young boys and girls, by issuing entry visa to Turkey.
The wind of corruption on entry visa impacted negatively to the eligible applicants for tourism, business and for students’ visas, Somali citizens battered being rejected and denied entry visa to the republic of Turkey behind going throw long and expensive process to fulfil the eligibility of visa and nevertheless a mass volume of money paid for visa application fee.
Although being eligible to apply visa is much expensive, the entry visa applicants have to go medical checkup only in Turkish hospital in Mogadishu for cost of $42 following on that heading to CID for clearance spending $25 waiting for a week to get approved, in addition to that an authorized visa agent will charge for hotel booking, flight reservation and application form approximately $150, No matter on having own accommodation in Turkey the hotel should be booked and charged, that is not enough to be eligible there will be an insurance to be issued which will cost $70 per applicant, when it comes to the visa fee the authorized agency will charge $40 for their service and $60 under the name of Turkish embassy application fee. All these cost will be charged and paid at start point of the application process, being rejected, denied or approved for the visa this point everyone who paid huge required money is fully eligible and had trust that he / she will receive their visa approval but its beyond our believes the maltreated and neglected citizens lost their money by fake unworkable process and if they don’t lose their passports are so lucky.
In a period of a months, going back and around unwelcoming premises where their original passports are kept and denied even to get an information about their application status, finally at end of a while, the horrified news will be that the passports are unfindable maybe lost who knowns, if the applicants are lucky they will get back their passport with rejection for no reason explained and no access to acquire for the reasons of rejection to the concerned officers, all original documents will not be returned and no payments will be refunded.
Here, there are other means that one can receive an approved entry visa without going through long, expensive and unworkable process, for the high worthy individual offer a bulk of dollars approximately 4000 to 5000 USD the most expensive visa on this globalized world to get entry visa and got swiftly approved.
This piece of writing is waving helping hands to review and carryout an investigation on the process of issuing visa to Somali citizens, to prevent the risk of corruption and illegitimate visa denial to those who are eligible and fulfilled the visa requirements established by Turkish immigration for Somali citizens, also to contribute the efforts of minimizing illegal immigration and human trafficking related crimes.
Its common that it may concern fear of illegal immigrants, terrorism, diseases and human trafficking but the eligibility criteria spot lights as a vetting process from healthy checkup to the criminal investigation department approval for visa applicants.
The government of Somalia should have discussion to its alliance for reciprocity fees and difficult of entry visa application to the Somali citizens, plus excessive bulk of money and original documents which is unrefunded when getting rejected for visa. with respect of immigration regulates still the citizens are valuable to their governments and deserve to be respected.
Author
Sharmarke Yusuf
Independent researcher, Youth affairs expert, member of commission of #Booksforpeace
Email to: sharmaarke.huruse@gmail.com
Twitter: @sharmaa55
Turkish Visa Denial as a tool of exploitation need for clarity – in Mogadishu – Somalia