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Viewing cable 06DJIBOUTI283, SOMALIA THROUGH DJIBOUTI'S CONSULAR

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06DJIBOUTI283 2006-03-06 03:48 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Djibouti
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000283 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR CA/OCS, CA/P, AF/E 
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CMGT PTER ASEC KE ET DJ SO CIVS KFRP
SUBJECT: SOMALIA THROUGH DJIBOUTI'S CONSULAR 
WINDOW 
 
REF: NAIROBI 740 
 
1. SUMMARY.  Embassy Djibouti agrees with the analysis in 
reftel.  Djibouti is also responsible for providing consular services 
to Somalia.  Post is unable to confirm identities or relationships to 
petitioners. The consular section concurs with Nairobi's stated 
concerns about possible ACS fraud. END SUMMARY. 
 
VISA CONCERNS 
----------------------- 
2. While Djibouti does not handle Diversity Visas, Post does 
process Immigrant Visas, and Visas 92 and 93 (for family 
members of asylees and refugees) as well as a small number of 
Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) applicants.  The 92s and 93s have the 
highest level of fraud.  Post is instructed that these cases are 
already adjudicated, and our only role in the process is to verify 
identity and relationship.  But therein lies the concern.  Post has 
almost no way to accurately establish identity.  Relationships can 
sometimes be validated through DNA, but that has problems as 
well (see paragraph 4). 
 
3. For a fee, any civil document can be obtained from the Somali 
Embassy in Djibouti.  On 2 March, a Somali woman produced in a 
visa interview ten birth certificates, for her nine children and 
herself.  They were all stamped as issued the prior day.  While they 
are legitimately issued documents direct from the embassy, they 
are meaningless.  Some applicants say they are asked to swear that 
the information is true before they can receive the documents, but 
most report that they don't even have to do that.  The woman who 
offered the birth certificates didn't bring her children or any 
evidence of their existence with her to Djibouti when she obtained 
the documents. 
 
DNA - SOMETIMES FRIEND, SOMETIMES FOE 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------ 
4. Frequently, the only way to establish relationship is through 
DNA testing.  With no civil documents of confidence, and 
photographs and letters extremely rare, DNA seems the only 
reliable evidence.  When DNA does show a relationship though, it 
often does not meet the required 99.5% burden of proof.  For 
example, someone will petition for a parent or child.  The DNA 
establishes a close relationship, but per the DNA it is more likely 
to be a sibling. 
 
5.  Additionally, some applicants will offer DNA to establish a 
relationship, but the "children" they petition for are actually adult 
Embassy Djibouti frequently sees individuals who are well into 
their twenties (estimated by a panel physician) who claim to be as 
young as ten.  Visas 92 and 93 are intended only to reunite spouses 
and minor unmarried children with their asylee or refugee anchor 
relative.  Since the cases have already been adjudicated prior to 
being sent to post, the applicants will point to the DNA to establish 
identity and relationship, although they are not the ages of the 
individuals claimed in the petition. 
 
ACS ISSUES 
---------------- 
6. Djibouti does not have anything to add to Nairobi's thorough 
commentary on concerns about Somali-Americans, passport 
sharing, and child smuggling.  Many similar stories have been seen 
here.  Djibouti shares all the same concerns and concurs 
completely with Nairobi's assessment of the issues and the 
difficulties facing our posts in informed adjudication. 
 
7. Djibouti echoes Nairobi's request for guidance from Consular 
Affairs and regional posts about best practices for processing 
Somali Immigrant and Somali-American ACS cases. 
RAGSDALE