Finland has rejected funding for seven proposed aid projects in Somalia worth €4.2 million, linking the decision to a dispute over the return of Somali nationals ordered to leave the country.
HELSINKI (Somali Report) — Finland's Development Minister Ville Tavio has rejected funding for seven proposed aid projects in Somalia, citing a diplomatic dispute over the return of Somali nationals ordered to leave Finland.
Four Finland-based organisations had applied for a combined 4.2 million euros ($4.9 million) in development assistance for projects scheduled to run between 2027 and 2030.
Tavio announced his decision on Monday in a Facebook post, saying Finland's development cooperation with Somalia remained suspended because Mogadishu had not done enough to accept the return of its citizens.
"Development cooperation with Somalia remains on hold because Somalia has not made sufficient efforts to readmit its citizens," Tavio said in remarks published by Suomen Uutiset, a news outlet affiliated with his Finns Party.
"As long as the situation remains unchanged, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will not finance any new development aid projects in Somalia," he added.
Tavio said the money allocated for the proposed projects would be kept in reserve rather than redistributed to other organisations seeking development assistance.
The decision came despite recommendations from officials at Finland's Foreign Ministry to approve approximately 2.2 million euros in funding for four of the seven proposals, Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported.
Tavio's adviser, Tuomas Tähti, told the newspaper that the remaining three applications had received lower scores during the assessment process.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Tuesday that he needed to examine the minister's decision and the reasons behind it.
"We need to look at the decision and the reasons on which it is based," Orpo told reporters at parliament, according to Suomenmaa newspaper.
However, Orpo also said on X that the minister had the authority to reject funding applications submitted by organisations working in Somalia, public broadcaster Yle reported.
Somali Report · Newsletter
Your morning briefing on Somalia's biggest stories — politics, security, business, and the people shaping the region's future.
Healthcare and vocational training projects affected
Among the organisations seeking funding was Finnish Somalia Network, which submitted the largest application, requesting nearly 1.2 million euros for a vocational training initiative known as Xirfadle, aimed at equipping people with professional skills and helping them find employment.
The organisation also sought 594,000 euros for a maternal healthcare project and 486,000 euros for a waste management initiative.
Both proposals were among the four projects recommended for funding by ministry officials, Ilta-Sanomat reported.
The other recommended initiatives included a mental health programme and a project designed to help women in Hargeisa and Burao, in Somaliland, improve household incomes and nutrition.
Another applicant, African Care, submitted two proposals focusing on maternal healthcare, preventing gender-based violence and strengthening mental health services.
Meanwhile, Physicians for Social Responsibility Finland has worked with a local organisation in Somaliland since 2019 to provide mental healthcare.
The current phase of the programme, due to end in December, offers free treatment at a facility in Hargeisa, with home visits arranged for patients unable to travel to the centre.
"Cooperation built over many years is now at risk of ending without a properly managed transition," said Johanna Järveläinen, the organisation's programme manager, in a statement published by Fingo, a Finnish umbrella organisation for development NGOs.
The funding decision raises concerns about the continuity of healthcare and other humanitarian programmes supported by Finnish organisations in Somalia and Somaliland, particularly those serving vulnerable communities.
The dispute over the return of Somali nationals has emerged as a key obstacle to development cooperation between the two countries, with Helsinki linking the resumption of new assistance projects to progress on readmission.
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.
