Italy (Somali diaspora)

How many Somalis live in Italy?

On 1 January 2025, 9,262 Somali citizens were resident in Italy, according to ISTAT data published by Tuttitalia (Tuttitalia, from ISTAT data, 2025). Of these, 7,173 were men and 2,089 were women (Tuttitalia, from ISTAT). The number was 8,515 in 2020 and 9,406 in 2024 (Tuttitalia, from ISTAT).

Other counts differ by method:

• UN DESA 2024: 12,642 people born in Somalia lived in Italy (UN DESA, International Migrant Stock 2024). This includes Somalia-born people who are now Italian citizens.
• UNHCR, end of 2025: 6,486 refugees and 925 asylum seekers from Somalia were in Italy (UNHCR Refugee Data Finder API, Italy, 1990 to 2025).

Neither count includes Italian-born children of Somali parents who hold Italian citizenship.

Where in Italy do Somalis live?

Lazio, the region around Rome, had the most Somali citizens in 2025, with 2,132 (Tuttitalia, from ISTAT). Sicily followed with 1,471, then Piedmont (1,116), Lombardy (1,042) and Emilia-Romagna (703) (Tuttitalia, from ISTAT).

Earlier counts by city put Rome first, then Turin and Florence (Somali people in Italy, Wikipedia). Sicily's high number reflects its role as a landing place for sea arrivals.

Why is Italy tied to Somalia?

Italy ruled southern Somalia as a colony before the Second World War (Fascist rule and the war, 1923 to 1941). In 1950 a UN agreement returned the territory to Italian administration as a trust territory, with ten years to prepare for independence (Library of Congress, Somalia: A Country Study; UN General Assembly resolution 289 (IV), 1949). On 1 July 1960 it joined former British Somaliland to form the Somali Republic (Library of Congress).

See The UN trusteeship, 1950 to 1960 for the full record.

How did Somalis come to Italy?

The first wave was mostly women. In the 1960s and 1970s, women from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia looked to Italy because of the colonial past, and most worked as domestic workers (Gissi, Modern Italy, 2024). A 1979 to 1980 survey in Rome found these communities almost entirely female (Gissi, 2024).

A European Union agency also lists Somalia among the first countries that sent women domestic workers to Italy in the 1970s (Eurofound, 2010).

The war changed the numbers. UNHCR counted 716 Somali refugees in Italy in 1992 and 10,718 in 1993 (UNHCR API). The count stayed near 10,000 until 1997 and then fell sharply, as many moved on or changed status (UNHCR API).

The Somali embassy on Via dei Villini in Rome closed in 1991 (UNHCR). From about 2000, new arrivals began sleeping in the empty building, and by 2004 UNHCR was asking Rome for other shelter for them (UNHCR).

How do Somalis reach Italy by sea?

From 2008 the sea route grew. Somali refugees in Italy rose from 1,701 in 2007 to 5,251 in 2008, and peaked at 15,641 in 2017 (UNHCR API). Most crossed from Libya; see Libya (Somali diaspora) and Migration routes.

The crossings rose again in 2025. IOM data showed 5,435 Somalis reaching Europe from January to August 2025, three times the same months of 2024 (Kaab TV, citing IOM DTM, 28 October 2025). Most went to Italy, leaving mainly from Libya and Tunisia (Kaab TV, citing IOM DTM).

In 2026 Somalis were the second-largest group landing in Italy. By 7 September 2026, 2,457 of 20,622 sea arrivals, or 11.9%, said they were Somali (UIL, citing the Interior Ministry dashboard, 7 September 2026). Only Bangladesh had more (UIL, 2026).

Do Somalis stay in Italy?

Many move on. A 2006 Swiss study found that Somali refugees saw Italy mainly as a transit point and rarely as a place to settle (Swiss Forum for Migration Studies, 2006). Many travelled on by car or train to Switzerland and further north (SFM, 2006).

Housing has been hard for those who stay. In 2017 Selam Palace, an occupied building in Rome, held 600 to 800 people, mostly Eritreans, Somalis and Ethiopians with international protection (Open Migration, 13 December 2017). For protection status, see Refugee papers and status.

Who speaks for Somalis in Italy?

Italian writers of Somali heritage are among the best-known public voices. They include the writers Igiaba Scego and Cristina Ali Farah (Somali people in Italy, Wikipedia). Others include the singer Saba Anglana and the former politician Dacia Valent (Wikipedia).

What do Somalis in Italy face now?

• Fewer arrivals overall: total sea arrivals to Italy by 7 September 2026 were less than half those of 2025, but Somali arrivals were a larger share (UIL, 2026).
• Deaths at sea: deaths and missing persons in the Mediterranean rose in 2026 even as crossings fell (UIL, 2026).
• A mostly male community: men outnumbered women more than three to one among Somali citizens in 2025 (Tuttitalia, from ISTAT).

How are Somalis in Italy tied to home?

Language and history tie the two countries. Southern Somalia held its first territory-wide elections in 1956, under the Italian-run trusteeship (Library of Congress). Worldwide, Somalis abroad sent home US$3,134 million in 2025, about 24% of the economy (Central Bank of Somalia, Annual Report 2025).

Related pages

• Somali diaspora hub
• Migration routes
• Why and how Somalis left
• Life after leaving
• Libya (Somali diaspora)
• Switzerland (Somali diaspora)

Sources

1. Tuttitalia. "Cittadini stranieri: Somalia," from ISTAT data at 1 January 2025. tuttitalia.it. Checked 2026-11-12.
2. UN DESA Population Division. "International Migrant Stock 2024." 2025. un.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
3. UNHCR. Refugee Data Finder API, Somalia to Italy, 1990 to 2025. api.unhcr.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
4. Library of Congress. "Somalia: Trusteeship and Protectorate: The Road to Independence." Somalia: A Country Study. countrystudies.us. Checked 2026-11-12.
5. UN General Assembly. Resolution 289 (IV), 21 November 1949. undocs.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
6. Gissi, A. "'Entirely white'? Female immigrants and domestic work in Italy (1960s–1970s)." Modern Italy 29(2), 2024. cambridge.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
7. Eurofound. "Migrant women workers receive less pay than men." 2010. eurofound.europa.eu. Checked 2026-11-12.
8. UNHCR. Report on the former Somali embassy in Rome. unhcr.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
9. Kaab TV. "Sharp Rise in Somali Migration to Europe, DTM Report Reveals." 28 October 2025. en.kaabtv.com. Checked 2026-11-12.
10. UIL. "Sbarchi di migranti: il calo è europeo," citing the Interior Ministry's daily dashboard. 7 September 2026. uil.it. Checked 2026-11-12.
11. Moret, J., Baglioni, S. and Efionayi-Mäder, D. "The Path of Somali Refugees into Exile" and "Somali Refugees in Switzerland." SFM Studies 46 and 47, 2006. unine.ch. Checked 2026-11-12.
12. Open Migration (Camilli, E.). "Where is my home? A journey through refugees' housing occupations in Rome." 13 December 2017. openmigration.org. Checked 2026-11-12.
13. Central Bank of Somalia. "Annual Report 2025." 2026. centralbank.gov.so. Checked 2026-11-12.
14. Wikipedia. "Somali people in Italy." en.wikipedia.org. Checked 2026-11-12.