There has been a Somali presence in the UK since the nineteenth century at a time when most of the Black Africans living in England were either servants or slaves. Sailors from British Somaliland first settled in port cities of London, Bristol, Liverpool and Cardiff. However, the majority of Somalis now residing in the UK arrived post 1988 when the escalation in civil conflict provoked a mass exodus from the country. Most Somali refugees eventually settled in former colonising countries like Britain, where subsequent migration occurred periodically from the late 1980’s to the present depending on the political situation in Somalia.

Although accurate statistics are hard to come by, Somalis represent one of the largest refugee communities in the UK, between 1985 and the end of 2006, Home Office figures showed that Somalia consistently remained in the top ten asylum applicant producing countries in the UK. Moreover, the 2001 census figure for Somali-born London inhabitants are less than half the figure estimated in two recent studies. In recent years the number of Somalis in the UK has been increased subsequently by an unknown number of Somali refugees who have migrated to the UK as secondary migrants from other European countries, most notably Holland, Germany and Sweden, settling in cities with an already established Somali population.

The Somali community has found it very difficult to integrate or to participate into UK civil society, the transition from a semi-nomadic and pastoral society to the post-industrial society in the UK has made the transition very problematical for Somali migrants. Recent migrants have encountered hostility and racism towards their cultural identity, practices and affiliations. As one of the most segregated ethnic communities in the UK, Somalis have become attracted to congregating in a particular spatial territory to facilitate intra-community interactions. However, the consequence of this voluntary segregation has seen limited integration into the wider community and has in the process created barriers that have limited the opportunity to interact, cutting Somalis off economically, politically and from mainstream values.

The voluntary isolation has contributed to the character of the community, with its strong sense of family and common Muslim identity. It would, however be wrong to make sweeping generalisation that Somalis are all segregated, since Somalis with different immigration status have different relationships to state benefits and employment. Asylum seekers awaiting the outcome of appeals or those who are unsure about their limited leave to remain live in greater insecurity and are therefore more segregated than those confirmed as refugees, let alone those who are second or third generation.

It is also crucial to recognise that even within their community, Somalis are high segregated, often having the strongest bond with clan allegiance as opposed to the Somali national identity. The Somali community is tribally segregated across London and consequently Somalis in different parts of London constitute different clans. For instance Somalis in Tower Hamlets are predominately from Somaliland, the former British protectorate and are composed of Issaq, while Somalis in Islington are mostly Darood population, from South Somalia, the former Italian colony. But it seems as though times are changing, as younger generations, both those escaping violence at home and those born here are renegotiating their Somali identity and their relationship to the UK in a new context.

Despite this, the high rate of unemployment, combined with limited integration has indeed precluded a route into wider society. The existence of the large number of Somali community groups has not ensured that Somalis are represented at either on the local or national level. It has been suggested that clan division, as previously mentioned has led to ‘clan particularism’ which has precluded efforts to develop a politically unified voice indicative of an inclusive Somali national identity.

I have included a video I created, which talks about some of the problems currently facing the Somali Community in the UK.