Somalis who came home from abroad: who they are and what they built

No official count exists of diaspora Somalis who have come home to live or work. Data on the scale of return "is lacking", the Heritage Institute says (HIPS, 2014). What is counted: IOM's MIDA programme brought back over 400 Somali professionals from 17 countries in 20 years (UN News, 15 Aug 2025).

This page is about Somalis who lived abroad, often as citizens of other countries, and came back by choice. People sent back against their will are on Who is sent back to Somalia, and how many?. Refugees returning from camps are counted on What happened to Somalis after they left?.

How many diaspora Somalis have come home?

No government or UN body publishes a total. The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) found return "rarely permanent but often circular" in its study of Mogadishu, Garowe and Hargeisa (HIPS, 2014). That study rested on 29 returnee interviews and three focus groups with people who stayed (same source).

What the studies do measure:

• Hargeisa: in a 2010 survey of 40 private investors in Somaliland, 53% said they were returnees from abroad (Hammond, 2015). Of local NGOs, 33% had staff from the diaspora (same source).
• Minneapolis to Mogadishu: a University of Minnesota study of 80 returnee interviews found most Twin Cities Somalis stayed less than a year (University of Minnesota via EurekAlert, 4 Mar 2015).

Hansen named this pattern "revolving returnees" in his 2007 study of Somaliland (Hansen, University of Copenhagen, 2007). Hammond calls them the "part-time diaspora" (Hammond, 2015).

When did they come back?

Returns came in waves, starting in the north.

• Late 1990s, Hargeisa and Burco: returns from Europe and North America began to grow, first as short visits to check property (Hammond, 2015). One Hargeisa district became known as "Half London" for its UK returnees (same source).
• From 2011, Mogadishu: diaspora members came back to open hospitals, schools, hotels and restaurants as al-Shabaab was pushed back (VOA, 29 Apr 2015). The government declared Mogadishu "open for business" in 2012 (The National, 4 Sep 2014).
• After 2012: returns became "increasingly visible", HIPS reported in 2014 (HIPS, 2014). By 2015, daily Turkish Airlines flights to Mogadishu were one sign of rising returns (PRIO, 18 Jun 2015).

Western citizenship made return possible, HIPS found, because it allows travel back and forth and evacuation in a crisis (HIPS, 2014). Return was realistic mainly for people with money and professional networks in Somalia (same source).

Which programmes brought doctors, teachers and civil servants home?

Most programmes pay diaspora experts for short placements in public bodies, so they can train local staff.

• QUESTS-MIDA (IOM and UNDP): placed diaspora experts in public institutions; 126 had been placed by February 2013 (IOM via ReliefWeb, 22 Feb 2013). Placements ran from a few months to 18 months (Hammond, 2015). Backers included the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden (HIPS, 2014).
• MIDA FINNSOM (IOM, funded by Finland): the first phase, July 2008 to December 2009, made 22 health assignments in Puntland and Somaliland (IOM, 7 Jul 2011). By January 2019, 159 Somali experts from Finland had worked in Somalia and about 4,000 local workers had been trained (Finnish Somali League, 24 Jan 2019).
• MIDA FINNSOM Health and Education, phase 3 (2023 to 2025): planned 40 diaspora experts and training for at least 40 local professionals and 40 graduates (EU Global Diaspora Facility).
• Connecting Diaspora for Development (CD4D), IOM Netherlands: 87 assignments in Somalia since 2016, in ministries, Somali National University and Benadir Regional Administration (CD4D).
• All MIDA work in Somalia: over 400 Somalis from 17 countries in 20 years, in schools, hospitals and ministries (UN News, 15 Aug 2025). IOM also lists MIDA projects funded through Italy, JICA, Sida and the African Development Bank (IOM Somalia).

In 2015 the World Bank wrote that the means for using diaspora skills in government were "still weak", noting mainly QUESTS-MIDA (World Bank, Project Appraisal Document 97861-SO, 2015).

What did the work achieve in hospitals?

The Finnish programme's hospital results were reported by city in 2019 (Finnish Somali League, 24 Jan 2019):

• Hargeisa: newborn deaths at Hargeisa Central Hospital fell from 24% to 5%. Dialysis, intensive care and dental units were set up.
• Garowe: a newborn unit at Garowe General Hospital cut monthly newborn deaths from 70 to 3 by late 2016.
• Mogadishu: patients at Yardimel Hospital rose from 800 to 4,000 in 2017 to 2018.

What businesses and institutions did returnees build?

In Somaliland, returnees own most of the larger hotels and restaurants, a 2015 study found (Hammond, 2015). They are major shareholders in money transfer and telephone companies, and one opened a Coca-Cola franchise (same source).

Documented examples, by organisation:

• The Village restaurants, Mogadishu: opened by a chef who returned from London; by 2015 the chain employed over 100 people in Mogadishu (VOA, 29 Apr 2015).
• First Somali Bank, Mogadishu: opened in May 2012 with about US$2 million by a businessman back from 24 years in the US (How We Made It In Africa, 18 Jun 2012). Bank details are on Banks.
• Hargeisa International Book Fair: held every year since 2008 by organisers based abroad, with dozens of diaspora volunteers (Hammond, 2015).
• Edna Adan University Hospital, Hargeisa: opened in 1998 by Somaliland's first trained midwife; it hosts diaspora volunteer and trainee health workers (same source).
• Iftiin Foundation, Mogadishu: founded in 2012 by returnees to teach young people leadership and link entrepreneurs to funders (The National, 4 Sep 2014).

Smaller ventures in Mogadishu included taxi firms, gyms, estate agents, florists and dry cleaners (PRIO, 18 Jun 2015). Most returnees, though, work in government and non-profit groups, HIPS found (HIPS, 2014). Wider investment rules are on Investing in Somalia.

How many returnees serve in government?

• Federal parliament: 105 of 275 MPs in the 10th Parliament held a second citizenship, down from 198 in the 9th (Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative, 19 Jan 2017). The largest groups were British (29), American (22) and Kenyan (10), by the Wakiil database count (same source).
• Senate: 20 of 54 senators are returned diaspora, a 2026 analysis reports (African Arguments, 11 Aug 2026).
• Prime ministers: every prime minister from 2000 to 2022 reportedly held Western dual citizenship (same source).
• Somaliland: in 2011, people in Hargeisa estimated that 20% to 30% of MPs came from the diaspora (Hammond, 2015). Half of the first cabinet formed after the 2010 election were returnees (same source).

The federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up a Department of Diaspora Affairs in October 2013 (HIPS, 2014). Somaliland's Diaspora Agency and Puntland's Diaspora Department both date from 2010 (same source). The federal department now offers investment help and support for return migrants (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Can a Somali keep a second citizenship?

Yes, under the 2012 Provisional Constitution. Article 8(3) says a Somali citizen "cannot be deprived of Somali citizenship, even if they become a citizen of another country" (Provisional Constitution, 2012).

The constitution approved on 4 March 2026 bars the president, prime minister, speaker and chief justice from holding another citizenship (Anadolu Agency, 4 Mar 2026). Ordinary MPs may still hold two (African Arguments, 11 Aug 2026). In July 2026 the President told ministers to give up foreign passports or resign, the same analysis reports.

In Somaliland, Citizenship Law No. 22 of 2002 lets a citizen by birth take another nationality without losing Somaliland citizenship (Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative). Passport rules are on The Somali passport.

How do returnees and those who stayed get along?

People who stayed often welcome returnees and value years of money sent home, HIPS found (HIPS, 2014). It named three sources of tension: a perceived sense of superiority, job advantages, and living apart in safer areas (same source).

• Jobs and pay: Hargeisa students told a researcher in 2012 that returnees "take our jobs" and push up rents (Hammond, 2015). The same students said returnees bring skills and investment (same source).
• Prices: return has pushed up prices and salaries, and some businesses serve mainly diaspora customers (PRIO, 18 Jun 2015). A US$10 to US$15 meal is out of reach for most residents (The National, 4 Sep 2014).
• Commitment: people who stayed read circular return as a lack of commitment (HIPS, 2014). Returnees, in turn, said local people did not value their efforts (World Bank, 2015).

Returnees often come to be called "locals" within months, HIPS noted (HIPS, 2014). Teenagers sent back by diaspora parents to learn the culture are called dhaqan ceelis (Hammond, 2015).

What risks do returnees face?

Al-Shabaab issued specific threats against diaspora returnees, HIPS reported in 2014 (HIPS, 2014). Diaspora businesses such as the Village restaurant were deliberately targeted (PRIO, 18 Jun 2015).

• Mogadishu, September 2012: a bombing at the Village restaurant killed 15, including three journalists; many diaspora returnees were among the dead and wounded (Al Jazeera, 21 Sep 2012).
• Kismayo, 12 July 2019: an al-Shabaab attack on the Asasey Hotel killed 26, among them a Somali-Canadian journalist and two Americans (PBS NewsHour/AP, 13 Jul 2019).

Other risks are weak legal protection, little bank lending and almost no insurance (PRIO, 18 Jun 2015). Many programme experts left after placements because they could not move their families back (Hammond, 2015).

What else has been reported?

• IOM placements: IOM Somalia's projects page says 186 diaspora advisors have been placed in 31 Somali institutions, for 3 to 18 months each; the page is undated (IOM Somalia, projects). A 2016 IOM outreach report gave 415 diaspora experts in more than 80 public institutions across Puntland, Somaliland and south-central Somalia (Hiiraan Online, October 2016).
• National Diaspora Policy: an EU diaspora-for-development factsheet says Somalia ratified its National Diaspora Policy in 2023 (EUDiF, Somalia factsheet, 2024). The state news agency later reported the foreign ministry still finalising consultations before taking the policy to the Council of Ministers (SONNA). The two accounts conflict.

Related pages

• What happened to Somalis after they left?
• Who is sent back to Somalia, and how many?
• What did Somalis leave behind when they fled?
• Remittances in numbers
• Investing in Somalia
• Banks
• The Somali passport

Sources

1. Heritage Institute for Policy Studies. "Diaspora Return to Somalia: Perceptions and Implications." Policy Brief 07, June 2014. heritageinstitute.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
2. Laura Hammond. "Diaspora returnees to Somaliland: heroes of development or job-stealing scoundrels?" In Africa's Return Migrants, Zed Books, 2015. ceris.be. Checked 2026-11-12.
3. Peter Hansen. "Revolving Returnees: Meanings and Practices of Transnational Return among Somalilanders." PhD thesis, University of Copenhagen, 2007. research.diis.dk. Checked 2026-11-12.
4. UN News. "A two-way street: Reversing brain drain in Somalia." 15 August 2025. news.un.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
5. IOM via ReliefWeb. "IOM Somalia QUESTS-MIDA Expert presents Guidelines on 'New Deal Process' for aid effectiveness." 22 February 2013. reliefweb.int. Checked 2026-11-12.
6. IOM. "Somali diaspora in Finland helps revitalize northern Somalia's health sector." 7 July 2011. iom.int. Checked 2026-11-12.
7. Finnish Somali League. "Finland and IOM are celebrating their co-operation in health care in Somalia." 24 January 2019. somaliliitto.fi. Checked 2026-11-12.
8. EU Global Diaspora Facility. "MIDA FINNSOM Health and Education Project, Phase 3." diasporafordevelopment.eu. Checked 2026-11-12.
9. Connecting Diaspora for Development (IOM Netherlands). "Somalia." connectingdiaspora.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
10. IOM Somalia. "MIDA projects." somalia.iom.int. Checked 2026-11-12.
11. World Bank. "Project Appraisal Document: Somalia Capacity Injection Project." Report No. 97861-SO, 2015. cip.gov.so. Checked 2026-11-12.
12. University of Minnesota via EurekAlert. "U of M researchers call for US government to expand role in helping rebuild Somalia." 4 March 2015. eurekalert.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
13. Cindy Horst. "Back in Business? Diaspora Return to Somalia." PRIO, 18 June 2015. prio.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
14. Samira Shackle. "Back to the future: the challenges facing Somalia's returning diaspora." The National, 4 September 2014. thenationalnews.com. Checked 2026-11-12.
15. VOA. "Somali Hotel Chain Owner Strives to Make a Difference." 29 April 2015. voanews.com. Checked 2026-11-12.
16. How We Made It In Africa. "Opening a bank in Somalia not a crazy idea, says businessman." 18 June 2012. howwemadeitinafrica.com. Checked 2026-11-12.
17. Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative (from Radio Dalsan and Wakiil). "Somalia: Number of MPs with dual citizenship falls from 198 to 105." 19 January 2017. citizenshiprightsafrica.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
18. Ismail Abukar. "Somalia: A Government With One Foot Out the Door." African Arguments, 11 August 2026. africanarguments.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
19. Federal Republic of Somalia. "Provisional Constitution," adopted 1 August 2012. Via University of Minnesota Human Rights Library. hrlibrary.law.umn.edu. Checked 2026-11-12.
20. Anadolu Agency. "Somali parliament approves new constitution." 4 March 2026. aa.com.tr. Checked 2026-11-12.
21. Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative. "Somaliland Citizenship Law No 22 of 2002." citizenshiprightsafrica.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
22. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Somalia. "Department of Diaspora Affairs: overview." web.mfa.gov.so. Checked 2026-11-12.
23. Al Jazeera. "Blast cripples Somalia's lively spot." 21 September 2012. aljazeera.com. Checked 2026-11-12.
24. PBS NewsHour / Associated Press. "Somali forces end extremist siege of Kismayo hotel; 26 dead." 13 July 2019. pbs.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
25. IOM Somalia. Projects page. https://somalia.iom.int/projects. Checked 2026-11-12.
26. Hiiraan Online. "IOM reaches out to Somali diaspora through outreach program". Oct 2016. https://hiiraan.com/news4/2016/Oct/118359/iom_reaches_out_to_somali_diaspora_through_outreach_program.aspx. Checked 2026-11-12.
27. EU Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF). Somalia diaspora engagement factsheet. 2024. https://diasporafordevelopment.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CF_Somalia-v.1.pdf. Checked 2026-11-12.
28. Somali National News Agency (SONNA). "State Minister for Foreign Affairs gives directions on finalizing the National Diaspora Policy consultation". https://sonna.so/en/state-minister-for-foreign-affairs-gives-directions-on-finalizing-the-national-diaspora-policy-consultation. Checked 2026-11-12.