The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Friday appealed to the international communication to uphold their global obligations regarding non-refoulement.
In a statement, the UNHCR said it issued new eligibility guidelines on the protection needs of Somali asylum seekers on May 11 and notified donors the following day of the agency's concerns over the deteriorating situation in Somalia. "Today, we are appealing to all states to uphold their international obligations with regard to non-refoulement. Returns to central and southern Somalia must only take place on a strictly voluntary basis," the agency said in a statement.
According to UNHCR, the practice of states with regard to the assessment of protection needs regrettably varies quite a lot. In recent months there have been incidents of returns.
"Since the release of our eligibility guidelines these have included a further reported deportation of over 100 Somalis from Saudi Arabia to Mogadishu in mid May," it said.
The UN refugee agency said it is concerned of the plight of Somalis globally and believes that a consistent international approach is needed to ensure that the international protection needs of refugees from Somalia are met.
"We again urge governments to pay close heed to UNHCR's new eligibility guidelines," the statement said.
Violence and fighting in the lawless Horn of African nation has forced more than 120,000 Somalis to seek refuge in neighbouring countries during 2009.
Kenya bore the brunt of the displacement. This year alone, more than 37,000 Somalis sought asylum in the region and further a-field.
Most Somali refugees arrived from Mogadishu and southern Somalia.
The unfolding crisis is further compounded by severe drought conditions, poverty, food insecurity and periodic heavy flooding in the Horn of Africa.