By Gilbert Wandera
Somali nationals wishing to travel to Europe are using unscrupulous sports federations officials to evade tough Immigration restrictions.
Many of them are registered as officials or players to represent the country in international sports events.
They do this to acquire visas and travel and once they land, they disappear.
It is a practice that has been going on for years with those involved reported to be earning thousands of dollars as they help desperate Somalis to travel out of the country to Europe.
Questions raised
Last year, a top Kenya Tae Kwondo Association (KTF) official smuggled out four Somali nationals under the pretext they were going to represent the country in the Olympic qualifiers held in Azerbaijan.
The association had picked Mombasa-based Yahya Mohammed to represent the country in the qualifiers. Mohammed was to be accompanied by veteran coach George Mureu but in the end, six people jetted out of the country.
On the night the team was supposed to depart, coach Mureu found himself all alone at the airport as Mohammed was held up with the other four people who were supposed to travel with him.
Aware that the four Somali nationals could not be allowed to depart on their own, the top KTF official, who hatched the scheme, put them together with Mohammed to make it look like they were one team and were going for the same competition.
But a hawk-eyed Middle East airline attendant suspicious of the scheme refused to issue them with boarding passes and they were forced to change flights to depart the following day.
The only problem is that Mohammed ended up arriving in Azerbaijan late and could not therefore be allowed to take part in the competition.
