HARGEISA, Somaliland — Somaliland officials say they are ready to welcome Palestinians forcibly displaced from Gaza, following reports that Israel may be planning the mass expulsion of the territory’s population amid its ongoing military campaign.
Although no official resettlement proposal has been made, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and senior refugee officials confirmed the breakaway republic is open to offering refuge to Palestinians—emphasizing the region’s history of hosting displaced communities.
“The Palestinians are our brothers,” said Abdullahi in an interview with The Guardian . “If they choose to come of their own will, we don’t mind. But there are no formal discussions underway with the Palestinians or with any other country.”
The comment comes amid reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed the complete removal of Gaza’s population, while U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly discussed relocating Palestinians to allow the reconstruction of Gaza into a commercial and tourist hub.
Aidrous Osman Hussain, deputy director of Somaliland’s refugee department, said Palestinian families have settled in the region since the early 2000s. “Palestinians have been moving here since 2004, 2005. Somaliland welcomes all refugees,” he told The Guardian.
Currently, 12 Palestinian families live in Somaliland, alongside thousands of other displaced people. Officials say they are prepared to accept more but stress that international recognition is crucial for scaling up humanitarian efforts.
“If Somaliland is recognized, we’ll have access to more international aid and partnerships,” said Hussain. “That would allow us to help even more refugees.”
Somaliland has quietly become a safe haven for nearly 23,000 refugees of various nationalities, including 2,875 who arrived last year alone. More than 300 Sudanese families have fled to the region since Sudan’s civil war began, and the local Syrian community—formed in the wake of the Syrian civil war—now numbers around 2,000.
One Syrian refugee, Hassan, who fled Damascus in 2023, described Hargeisa as a safe and welcoming place for Muslims. “What mattered to me most was security,” he said while verifying documents at a refugee processing center. “Somalilanders are Muslim. It’s safe here for our family, and the community is open. We integrate well.”
Somaliland’s stability, relative safety, and Islamic identity have made it a rare refuge in a turbulent region. However, officials say their capacity is limited without global recognition and access to international funding.
“We can do more, but we need the world to see us as a partner,” Hussain said.