Somalian disciplinary facility burned after undercover exposé

A disciplinary facility in Mogadishu, secretly filmed by Yle’s MOT investigative program, was destroyed by fire in early April, with local reports suggesting two deaths—a staff member and a youth.

Police suspect the blaze was started by young people held at the facility, though the exact cause remains unconfirmed. Local footage obtained by MOT shows authorities rescuing individuals from the building, with at least one person visible in leg irons. Faces in the video have been blurred to protect identities.

MOT revealed in January 2025 that immigrant parents from Finland and other Western countries were sending youth to such facilities in Somalia and Kenya, where methods included shackling, violence, and isolation. The burned facility was one of those exposed in the investigation, surrounded by electrified fences and armed guards.

According to local police, most occupants were rescued, but the building was severely damaged. Survivors were later transferred to another location, where operations continue.

Somalian authorities have not intervened in the broader system. Abdi Aziiz Godah, a Finnish-Somali resident of Mogadishu, told MOT that officials view the facilities primarily as social rehabilitation centers, despite evidence of abuse. Former residents describe them as places of harsh discipline and even torture.

MOT estimates around 50 such facilities operate in Mogadishu alone, housing youth from Somalia and abroad, including Europe and North America. Some parents, struggling with cultural conflicts or behavioral issues, send their children there at significant cost.

This is not the first deadly fire in such a facility. Another blaze in Mogadishu within the past year reportedly killed eight youth, with local accounts blaming delayed rescues due to locked rooms and missing keys. The owner of that facility was later arrested over safety concerns and restrictive conditions.

Despite the exposures, fires, and deaths, the facilities continue to operate, with new youth still being sent from around the world.