Two 22-year-old Somali twins face deportation from Sweden to Somalia despite their mother and siblings remaining in the country, as their lawyer seeks to halt their removal ahead of new migration rules taking effect in October.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Somali Report) — Twin Somali siblings aged 22 face deportation from Sweden to Somalia on Tuesday despite their mother and other siblings remaining in the country, in a case that has drawn attention to Sweden’s changing rules on young adult migrants.
Alia and her twin brother Abdinajib are being held at a detention facility operated by the Swedish Migration Agency, Migrationsverket, ahead of their scheduled deportation on September 22.
The siblings say they were unexpectedly detained last week after attending what they understood to be a routine appointment at a police station in Skarholmen, south of Stockholm.
Alia said the twins were initially told they were going to a meeting but were instead taken to a detention centre for people awaiting deportation. They were not given an opportunity to collect clothes or personal belongings before being transferred, according to her account.
The twins arrived in Sweden as children and were allowed to remain in the country on the basis of their family ties to their mother, who had fled Somalia amid violence involving Al-Shabaab.
But after the siblings turned 18, Swedish authorities determined that they could no longer automatically qualify for residence on the same family-based grounds as their mother.
Migrationsverket ruled on April 29 that the twins could not remain in Sweden. A migration court had also previously assessed Alia’s case and concluded that the information she had provided was insufficient to establish that she was in need of protection.
The planned deportation comes as Sweden prepares new rules due to enter into force on October 1, 2026, aimed in part at changing the legal situation of young adults facing removal.
The changes are part of a political agreement among parties supporting Sweden’s government, with the deportation of young migrants becoming a prominent issue in the country’s political debate.
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The twins’ lawyer, Eva-Lena Hanervorsh, said it remained unclear whether the new rules would apply to Alia and Abdinajib.
Hanervorsh has submitted a request to Migrationsverket seeking to halt the deportation, citing the forthcoming legal changes as well as the siblings’ rights to family and private life.
She also said she was preparing an application to the European Court of Human Rights and would seek an urgent interim measure to suspend the deportation if the Swedish Migration Agency does not intervene.
The case has also advanced through Sweden’s border authorities. According to a decision concerning the twins, police contacted the Somali embassy and arrangements were made for travel documents and a plan to carry out the deportation.
The case highlights the difficulties faced by migrants who arrived in Sweden as children but whose legal status changes after reaching adulthood.
For the twins, the prospect of being sent to Somalia would mean separation from their mother and siblings, who continue to live in Sweden.
Their lawyer is now seeking to prevent the deportation while Swedish authorities consider whether the forthcoming rules can affect their case.
As of Tuesday, however, the twins remain in detention and face removal to Somalia unless Migrationsverket or a court intervenes before the scheduled deportation.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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