Domestic flights in the African nation Somalia will now require passengers to present their biometric ID cards.
The new system was launched at the domestic departure terminal of Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, with Mustafa Duhulow, [1] the Director General of the Immigration and Citizenship Agency, officiating the event, [2] according to Dawan Africa.The International Civil Aviation Organization or ICA reports that a new initiative aims to digitize the internal migration system and monitor the movement of individuals. Duhulow asserts that this initiative aligns with legal frameworks and enhances border and national security. Airport personnel have been directed to assist citizens as they transition to using the biometric national ID.
This initiative is a collaborative effort with [3] the National Identification and Registration Authority or NIRA, the body responsible for issuing biometric ID cards. Somalis traveling between federal states will be required to present these IDs for identity verification and digital data processing. In July 2025, Somalia made [4] national ID cards mandatory for banking transactions. “The regulation is aimed at eliminating fraudulent identity use, curbing money laundering, and ensuring secure access to financial services,” the central bank said. This initiative by [5] the Central Bank of Somalia has the backing of both NIRA and the Somali Bankers Association.
In June, 2025 the Somalian government mandated [6] the national ID as a requirement for acquiring a driver’s licence and other documents from [7] the Transport Ministry. The ministry said in a statement, “No individual will be granted services by the ministry without presenting a valid National ID card.” Somalia is implementing the Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System or PISCES, a biometrics system supported by the US. PISCES is designed to enhance Somalia’s national border management capabilities. Somalia claims the aim is to curb human trafficking and prevent irregular migration. Mustafa Duhulow said, “This is not just about technology it’s about protecting our citizens and rebuilding public trust. Thanks to the support of the US government, Somalia is now using one of the world’s most advanced border systems to detect threats, prevent trafficking, and manage migration with dignity and security.”
However, a study from the University of Minnesota, [8] titled Use of Biometric Data to Identify Terrorists: Best Practice or Risky Business? Warns these policies can be misused and lead to government overreach. “While biometric tools have successfully been used for legitimate public interest purposes and have played an important role in criminal justice processes, they have also been employed in connection with gross human rights violations, atrocity crimes, and by oppressive and authoritarian regimes,” said the study.
The study warns about the lack of an explicit human rights-based approach by the International Organization for Migration or IOM. “Some states and international organisations have developed biometric traveller screening systems that they also put at the disposal of other states. For example, the US Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System is used in at least 23 countries. While IOM states that it ‘promotes the responsible use of biometrics, effective personal data protection and respect to privacy’ and ‘when processing biometric data, IOM ensures that the data is collected in a lawful and fair manner with the consent of beneficiaries, and that the purpose of the processing is specified and legitimate,’ none of the publicly available documents providing information on MIDAS, consulted for this report, contain any references to human rights.”
In January, 2025, the FBI released a Request for Information [9] to facilitate the ongoing operation and maintenance of the Somalia Automated Biometric Identification System. This initiative, led by multiple federal agencies, claims it aims to enhance Somalia’s criminal justice and counterterrorism capacities through advanced biometric identification technologies. The FBI indicated that the goal is to bolster law enforcement capabilities in Somalia, thereby contributing to regional stability and security through improved biometric identification. “The ability to biometrically identify criminals, including terrorists, is one of the pillars of modern policing. In Somalia, the SPF has been collecting fingerprints from criminals, including terrorists, for many years but lacks the technical ability to complete comparisons to find matches because collected fingerprints are not processed and stored in a way they can be used for identification purposes,” said the FBI.