Somali Community In The UK
Presentation
Baraka Youth Association
Abdullahi Ali
Somali Migration To The UK
• The first migration of Somalis to the UK took place in the
late nineteenth century as a result of Somalia’s colonial
relationship with Great Britain.
• Sailors arriving in the UK settled in the dockland areas of
Bristol, Cardiff, Hull, Liverpool and London.
• The current wave of Somali migration began in the
1980s with those arriving in the UK often seeking asylum
as a result of the conflicts in their homeland.
• Home office immigration research and statistics service
data reports the number of asylum applications made by
those fleeing Somalia peaked in 2001/2002 with over
14,000 applications.
Areas of large Somali Communities
• It is estimated that at least 14% of Somalia’s
population, one million people, live outside Somalia.
• The 2001 Census recorded 43,532 Somali born
residents in the UK.
• This figure jumped to an estimated 101,000 in 2008,
making the UK the largest Somali expatriate
population in Europe.
• The largest concentration of Somalis in the UK live in
Tower Hamlets and account for approximately 78% of
Britain’s Somali residents.
• The community is also considered the oldest African
community in London.
Employment
• Somali-born migrants have the lowest employment rate
among all immigrants in the UK.
• Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show
high rates of economic inactivity and unemployment amongst
Somali immigrants.
• In the three months to June 2008, 31.4 percent of Somali
men and 84.2 percent of Somali women were economically
inactive (the statistics include students, carers and the longterm sick, injured or disabled in this group).
• Of those who were economically active, 41.4 percent of the
men and 39.1 percent of the women were unemployed.
• Employment rates were 40.1 percent for men and 9.6 percent
for women. The male employment rate has, however, risen
from 21.5 percent in 1998
Business and Enterprise
• The Somali people have a strong tradition in trade, with a
long history of maritime enterprise.
• Somali enterprise has also begun replacing previously Indiandominated business premises. Southall, for example, now features
several Somali-oriented restaurants and cafés
• Some Somali businesses with a presence in the UK, particularly in
the remittance sector, already operate internationally.
• The latter include Dahabshiil, Qaran Express, Mustaqbal, Amal
Express, Kaah Express, Hodan Global, Olympic, Amana Express,
Iftin Express and Tawakal Express
• Dahabshiil is the largest of the Somali money transfer operators.
• The firm has its headquarters in London and employs more than
2000 people across 144 countries, with 130 branches in the United
Kingdom alone, a further 130 branches in Somalia, and 400
branches globally.
• It invests 5 percent of its profits into community projects aimed at
improving schools, hospitals, agriculture and sanitation services,
and sponsors a number of social events.
• This helps to promote understanding and cooperation through
Somali art and culture and sport
Education
• Levels of education within the Somali community are low.
A 2005 Institute for Public policy report found that 50
percent had no qualifications and 3 percent had highereducation qualifications. At school, girls generally perform
better than boys.
• A high percentage of ethnic Somali parents in the UK
send their children to supplementary schools as well as
hire private teachers to help their children with their
school work.
• Currently Somalis have one of the highest rates of going
on to further education- and the Somali community have
set up peer-to-peer tutoring all across major UK cities
(London and Birmingham) to help young ethnic Somalis.
Education continued...
• Many Somali adults/parents also enroll
themselves at their local colleges in order to
learn English fluently to not only boost their
chances of finding employment but also to help
their children with their school homework.
• Many Somalis- who were very educated and
skilled workers, have taken low skilled work in
the UK because they get paid more in the UK
doing low skilled work
Religious influence on education
• Most Somalis adhere to Islam and many ethnic
Somalis have brought their religious and cultural
heritage with them.
• One thing that Somalis have brought with them to the
UK is the Duksi (Somali Islamic schools)and the young
children are taught the Arabic alphabet and the
language itself to help them learn The Holy Quran.
Most children attend the Duksi until they become a
hafiz or they have reached a certain age.
• Some adults may also go to a Duksi specially created
to help adults memorize the Qur'an and learn about
Islam.