CAIRO, Egypt – Each year, thousands of Somalis travel to Egypt in search of better healthcare, education, or business opportunities. For others, it is a destination for leisure and tourism. However, for many, these trips devolve into a demoralizing experience — one marked not by opportunity, but by legal hurdles, bureaucratic indifference, and a troubling lack of humanitarian consideration.
This report follows, step by step, the emotional and practical ordeal Somali citizens face when traveling to Egypt — from the frustrating visa process to the disheartening reception that often awaits them at Cairo International Airport.
The visa gauntlet
Obtaining an Egyptian visa has become a tough challenge for holders of a Somali passport. Applicants are required to purchase a non-refundable flight ticket before their visa is even guaranteed, placing them in immediate financial peril should the visa be delayed or denied — a gamble few can afford to lose.
The process is often fraught with delays, sometimes lasting an entire month, which can derail urgent plans for medical care or academic enrollment. On top of this, Somali applicants face additional security screenings by Egyptian authorities, casting suspicion on travelers whose only intent is healing, learning, or building a better future.
One-month countdown
After enduring long waits, those lucky enough to secure a visa are granted only a 30-day stay. For patients seeking long-term treatment or students trying to settle into new academic routines, this time limit is painfully short. Travelers in need of more time must brave another exhausting round of bureaucracy to seek an extension — with no guarantees.
Cairo airport: An unofficial detention
For many Somali travelers, the first experience in Egypt isn’t a welcoming handshake — it’s a long, silent wait in airport detention.
Upon arrival in Cairo, Somalis are frequently held for hours, often from midnight until sunrise — the time when most flights from Somalia land. Detainees include the sick and elderly, women and children — people who have traveled far in search of care or comfort. Instead, they’re held from 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM without food, water, or medical attention.
The treatment is not only inhumane, but also humiliating. It strips people of their dignity at the very first point of contact. It falls far short of international standards for the treatment of travelers.
A painful disparity: Ethiopia vs. Somalia
The contrast with travelers from neighboring Ethiopia is glaring. Ethiopian citizens arriving in Cairo are often processed quickly and granted visas that meet their specific needs. Somalis, by comparison, face delays, suspicion, and restriction — all seemingly due to their nationality.
Even more painful is the irony that a Somali citizen carrying an Ethiopian passport is treated better than one holding a Somali one. This quiet hierarchy — where identity determines dignity — is a reality Somali leaders are being called upon to address.
A relationship on paper only
Despite official statements celebrating close ties between Somalia and Egypt, the lived experience of Somali travelers tells a different story. The diplomatic bond has yet to bring about fundamental changes in how ordinary Somalis are treated — whether at the border or beyond it.
Much of the bilateral engagement appears to be focused on political strategy, while the human cost — the pain and frustration of everyday people — remains largely ignored. Somali officials, often traveling on red diplomatic passports, glide past the lines and obstacles their fellow citizens are forced to endure. Many remain unaware — or untouched — by the daily indignities Somalis face at Cairo Airport.
The case for change
The Somali government has a fundamental responsibility to protect its citizens abroad — not only in words, but through action. Egypt, too, must uphold the dignity of Somali travelers and treat them with the fairness and respect shown to citizens of other nations.
It’s time to move beyond symbolic gestures and empty promises. The distinction between diplomat and ordinary traveler must end. What’s needed now is a genuine partnership — one centered on justice, dignity, and the shared humanity of the Somali people.