SOMALI MIGRANTS: SMALL PROBLEM, BUT INCREASING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000687

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, PRM, AF/E

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SMIG PREF PGOV PREL PINR SO MU
SUBJECT: SOMALI MIGRANTS: SMALL PROBLEM, BUT INCREASING
IRRITANT


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SUMMARY
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1. (U) Somali migrants infiltrating Oman from Yemen or by
sea, often engaged in unskilled labor but sometimes accused
of theft and confrontations with police, have sparked calls
for government action from angry local residents and farmers
in Southern Oman. Army patrols and police checkpoints have
been successful in reducing their numbers (estimated now to
be in the low hundreds),but some Omanis are pressing the
government to address the roots of the problem with Yemeni
and Somali officials. End Summary.

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Somali Migrants Overstay Welcome
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2. (U) Given the geographic proximity and Oman's colonial
legacy in East Africa, ties between Oman and Somalia have a
long history. Somalis still occupy a few prominent positions
in government and society (including a past deputy governor
of Dhofar and the current general manager of Bank Dhofar),
but for the most part they have led a quiet existence on the
fringe of society in Oman's southern Dhofar region, primarily
harvesting frankincense or engaged in artisanal fishing.


3. (U) The Somali presence in Dhofar emerged as a
sociopolitical issue in 2003 when their increased presence,
stemming largely from Somali refugee camps in neighboring
Yemen, began to be noticed on the streets of Salalah, the
region's largest city. At that time, a number of Omani
families complained about Somali men and women begging
door-to-door for food and water, though many local residents
charitably provided them food and shelter and saw them as no
threat.


4. (U) By spring of 2004, local Dhofaris started reporting
incidents of minor theft and violence, including the theft
and slaughter of cows and camels at local farms. In an
effort to purge Somali hideouts and halt the incoming flow of
illegal migrants, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) Criminal
Investigations Department established a series of checkpoints
in the region to verify identification and close off Somali
infiltration. According to local sources, the impact of the
security measures was felt immediately, and the Somali
presence began to decrease drastically in Salalah. Some
migrants, however, were able to elude authorities as they
moved into more remote desert areas either up the Omani
coast, or inland toward Oman's desert frontier with Saudi
Arabia and Yemen.

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Halting The Flow of Illegal Migrants
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5. (SBU) The Royal Army of Oman Border Security Command is
the agency primarily responsible for land border security
along the Omani border with Yemen. Other entities, such as
the ROP and the Sultan's Special Force, have also aided in
apprehending illegal migrants traversing the tri-border area
of Oman, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia. An ROP contact in the
region informed Poloff that some Somalis, even after being
handed over to Yemeni border officials, quickly reappeared in
Oman; both Omani and Yemeni nationals were believed to be
aiding their transit. He added that a new deportation
facility will be built near the current ROP station in
Salalah to accommodate detained Somalis before their
deportation to Yemen. (Note: According to a Somali embassy
representative in Muscat, there are currently about 200
Somalis being detained in Salalah while awaiting issuance of
laissez-passer documents in June for repatriation to Somalia.
End Note.) In an effort to avoid deportation, some migrants
have resisted arrest or claimed to arresting officers to be
HIV positive. When taken to a local hospital, these claims
have been proven false.


6. (SBU) After a group of local residents recently
encountered some illegal Somali migrants on a farm, the topic
of Somali "infiltrators" caused a stir on the popular
Internet message board "al-Sablah." Although the commander
of the Sultan's Special Force confirms that the number of
Somali migrants in Dhofar is negligible, the topic
nonetheless generated over 1500 hits and almost 40 responses
that, for the most part, criticize the government's handling
of the Somali "problem." Respondents urged the government to
take action to "stop this dangerous phenomenon because it may
lead to increased crime." Some sympathetic respondents felt
that Omanis should show compassion to the migrants since they
are poor and homeless. Most respondents agreed, however,
that the government needs to develop more comprehensive
solutions and should cooperate with Somali and Yemeni
entities to address the roots of the problem.

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Comment
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7. (SBU) Despite concern on the part of some Dhofar
residents, reports from ROP officials and the Sultan's
Special Force suggest that the number of illegal Somali
migrants either crossing over from Yemen or coming ashore has
decreased considerably as a result of recent sweeps by Omani
military and police units. Most estimates place the number
of Somalis currently in southern Oman in the low hundreds, at
most. The region continues to bear watching, however, as
routes used by illegal migrants are always vulnerable to
exploitation by more nefarious groups, including those in
Yemen and Somalia.
GRAPPO