The Gatekeeping Economy: Commercializing Displacement and Profiting from Vulnerability in Mogadishu, Somalia

Using Mogadishu as a case study, this study exposes the systematic commercialization of internal displacement in Somalia, where the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has been transformed into a profitable enterprise. The research identifies gatekeepers as central actors who exploit displaced populations, creating a vicious cycle of displacement that perpetuates vulnerability and deepens the country's broader crisis. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, the findings reveal that this exploitative system generates severe human rights violations, including homelessness, psychological trauma, and social disintegration. The study concludes that existing legal frameworks have consistently failed to protect IDPs and that weak institutions have allowed this crisis to persist, rendering emergency aid alone inadequate. The study argues that sustainable solutions require fundamental reforms that prioritise the protection of the rights and dignity of Somalia's most vulnerable citizens and break the cycle of commercialised displacement.