# Leicester (Somali diaspora)

> Somalis in Leicester: onward moves from the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden after 2000, Census 2021 counts by ward, schools, work, charities and ties home.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/diaspora/leicester/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

Leicester's Somali community is mostly twice-migrant: people who found refuge in mainland Europe, became citizens, then moved to Leicester after 2000 ([Open Society Foundations, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf)). Census 2021 counted 6,849 residents who wrote "Somali" or "Somalilander" ([Nomis, Census 2021 TS022](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2095_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=TYPE154&c2021_ethnic_288=0,63,64,85,276,277&measures=20100)).

## How many Somalis live in Leicester?

The census gives several counts:

- **Somali or Somalilander write-ins:** 6,849, or 1.9% of 368,557 residents ([Nomis, TS022](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2095_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=TYPE154&c2021_ethnic_288=0,63,64,85,276,277&measures=20100)). Only 329 wrote "Somalilander" (same table).
- **ONS share:** Leicester holds 3.8% of the 176,645 people in England and Wales who identified as Somali ([ONS, 4 October 2023](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/articles/somalipopulationsenglandandwales/census2021)).
- **Born in Somalia:** 3,394 in 2021 ([Nomis, Census 2021 TS012](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2032_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=TYPE154&c2021_cob_58=26&measures=20100)), up from 872 in 2001 and 3,209 in 2011 ([OSF, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf)).
- **Main language Somali:** 2,408 in 2021 ([Nomis, Census 2021 TS024](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2043_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=E06000016&measures=20100)), against 3,331 in 2011 ([OSF, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf)).

The country-of-birth count misses people born in the Netherlands, Denmark or Sweden. Local estimates have long been higher: 10,000 to 15,000 in 2014 ([OSF summary, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-summary-20140917_0.pdf)).

## Where in Leicester do Somalis live?

Census 2021 ward counts, Somali and Somalilander together ([Nomis, TS022 by ward](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2095_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=E06000016TYPE153&c2021_ethnic_288=63,64,85,276,277&measures=20100)):

- **Wycliffe** (St Matthew's and Highfields): 1,540
- **Beaumont Leys:** 809
- **Saffron:** 638
- **Stoneygate:** 611
- **North Evington:** 479
- **Abbey:** 438

In 2011, two small areas near St Matthew's were 18.6% and 16.7% Somali by main language ([OSF, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf)). Growth from 2001 to 2011 was fastest in Charnwood (373%) and Beaumont Leys (310%) (same report).

## How did Somalis come to Leicester?

**From mainland Europe, after 2000.** Most Somalis in Denmark arrived as refugees in the early 1990s. After 10 to 12 years, many became Danish citizens ([Nielsen, Sussex Migration Working Paper 22, 2004](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-centre-for-migration-research/documents/mwp22.pdf)). As EU citizens they could then live in any member state (same paper). In the 2000s, people from [Somalia and Eritrea](/en/relations/eritrea/) built a community around St Matthew's, with shops and places of worship ([Story of Leicester, Leicester City Council](https://storyofleicester.info/city-stories/a-city-of-diversity)). See [Netherlands](/en/diaspora/netherlands/), [Denmark](/en/diaspora/denmark/) and [Sweden](/en/diaspora/sweden/).

**How many moved.** No official count exists, because they arrived as Dutch, Danish or Swedish citizens ([Nielsen, 2004](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-centre-for-migration-research/documents/mwp22.pdf)). Estimates differ:

- **Netherlands to the UK:** about 10,000, one third of Dutch Somalis, according to an EU-funded study ([CORDIS, Secondary Movements of Somalis within Europe, 2010](https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/219485/reporting)). Dutch officials put it at 10,000 to 20,000 ([Lindley and Van Hear, COMPAS, 2007](https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/WP-2007-057-Lindley-VanHear_Onward_Migration_Refugees_EU.pdf)).
- **Denmark to the UK:** an Aarhus adviser estimated 300 to 400 from that city in one to two years ([Nielsen, 2004](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-centre-for-migration-research/documents/mwp22.pdf)).
- **Into Leicester:** in 2001 to 2004, about 10,000 Dutch Somalis moved to Leicester, the city council told Parliament, as cited by [COMPAS, 2007](https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/WP-2007-057-Lindley-VanHear_Onward_Migration_Refugees_EU.pdf).

In 2013, 127 people took part in Leicester focus groups. Of them, 56 had lived in the Netherlands, 7 in Denmark, 6 in Finland, 5 in Sweden and 4 in Norway ([OSF, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf)). Only 13 came directly from Somalia, and most arrived in 2000 to 2005 (same report).

**Why they moved.** A 2011 study drew on 33 interviews with Dutch [Somalis in London](/en/diaspora/london/) and Leicester ([Van Liempt, Population, Space and Place, 2011](https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.605)). People cited easier work and business, open higher education, English, a large Somali community and family already in Britain ([CORDIS, 2010](https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/219485/reporting)). Some felt Dutch policy had shifted from integration to assimilation (same study). Some say Dutch Somalis tended to choose Leicester and Scandinavian Somalis Birmingham ([COMPAS, 2007](https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/WP-2007-057-Lindley-VanHear_Onward_Migration_Refugees_EU.pdf)).

**How the UK responded.** In July 2002 Leicester's MP asked about Dutch Somalis settling in the UK ([Hansard, HC Deb 1 July 2002](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/2002/jul/01/dutch-somalians)). The minister said rising numbers were seeking council support, and the asylum bill was amended to limit it (same answer). Leicester City Council ran a "New Arrivals Strategy" ([OSF, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf)).

## Do Somalis in Leicester have work?

No city-level Somali employment rate has been published. Focus groups named unrecognised qualifications, language and discrimination as barriers ([OSF summary, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-summary-20140917_0.pdf)). Self-employment appeared high (same report).

Somali businesses grew fast: 36 opened in the two years to 2004 ([COMPAS, 2007](https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/WP-2007-057-Lindley-VanHear_Onward_Migration_Refugees_EU.pdf)). By 2014 they included restaurants, clothing, internet cafés, furniture stores, remittance offices and groceries ([OSF, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf)). The report also noted many small businesses run by Somali women (same report).

Schools show the clearest gains. Somali pupils getting five good GCSEs rose from 26.6% in 2008 to 45.3% in 2012, near the city's 51.8% ([OSF summary, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-summary-20140917_0.pdf)). There were 2,076 Somali pupils in city schools in 2013 (same report).

## Who speaks for Somalis in Leicester?

- **Somali Community Parents Association (SOCOPA)** (charity 1152565) runs study support, English classes and a job club ([Charity Commission](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5037812/full-print)). Its income was £167,469 in the year to March 2025 (same record).
- **Somali Development Services** gives advice on education, housing, work and benefits ([OSF, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf)). It has hosted Dutch, Danish and Swedish delegations (same report).
- **Mosques:** six Somali mosques in 2014, four in St Matthew's and two in Highfields ([OSF summary, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-summary-20140917_0.pdf)).

In 2014 the city had no Somali councillors, and many eligible Somalis were not registered to vote ([OSF summary, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-summary-20140917_0.pdf)). Turnout among Somalis rose in the 2011 council election after community voter drives (same report).

## What do Somalis in Leicester face now?

- **Housing (2014, latest found):** the most urgent concern, with small, crowded homes and slow repairs ([OSF summary, 2014](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-summary-20140917_0.pdf)).
- **Health:** focus groups reported language barriers and poor experiences with GP services; some said care was better in other EU countries (same report).
- **Everywhere in England and Wales, 2021:** 58.8% of Somali households were overcrowded, against 8.4% overall ([ONS, 2023](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/articles/somalipopulationsenglandandwales/census2021)).

## How is Leicester tied to home?

Ties run in a triangle: to Somalia, to the European country people left, and to Leicester ([CORDIS, 2010](https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/219485/reporting)). Somalis moving on from mainland Europe often linked better UK earnings to supporting relatives in Somalia ([COMPAS, 2007](https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/WP-2007-057-Lindley-VanHear_Onward_Migration_Refugees_EU.pdf)). For money sent home, see [Life after leaving](/en/diaspora/life-after-leaving/).

## What else has been reported?

- **Council estimates:** a Leicester City Council cabinet paper estimated 6,000 to 10,000 Somalis in the city, "from a position of none in 1999" ([Leicester City Council, "The city's case for proper funding for its population"](https://cabinet.leicester.gov.uk/documents/s11018/THE%20CITYS%20CASE%20FOR%20PROPER%20FUNDING%20FOR%20ITS%20POPULATION.pdf)). Separately, a study of Dutch Somalis in London and Leicester estimates that 10,000 to 20,000 Somalis left the Netherlands for the UK after 2000 ([CORDIS, Secondary movements of Somalis within Europe](https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/219485/reporting)).
- **Aarhus:** the Washington Times reported in January 2005 on Somalis moving from Denmark to Britain; a figure of 4,000 from Aarhus is attributed to it ([Washington Times, 5 January 2005](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/jan/5/20050105-094454-3064r/)).

## Related pages

- [Netherlands (Somali diaspora)](/en/diaspora/netherlands/)
- [Denmark (Somali diaspora)](/en/diaspora/denmark/)
- [Sweden (Somali diaspora)](/en/diaspora/sweden/)
- [Birmingham (Somali diaspora)](/en/diaspora/birmingham/)
- [United Kingdom (Somali diaspora)](/en/diaspora/united-kingdom/)
- [Other UK cities (Somali diaspora)](/en/diaspora/uk-other-cities/)
- [Migration routes](/en/diaspora/migration-routes/)

## Sources

1. Open Society Foundations. "Somalis in Leicester." At Home in Europe, 17 September 2014. [Full report](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-20140917_0.pdf) · [Summary](https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/somalis-leicester-summary-20140917_0.pdf). Checked 2026-11-12.
2. ONS via Nomis. Census 2021 TS022, Ethnic group (detailed), local authorities and Leicester wards. [nomisweb.co.uk](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2095_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=TYPE154&c2021_ethnic_288=0,63,64,85,276,277&measures=20100) · [wards](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2095_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=E06000016TYPE153&c2021_ethnic_288=63,64,85,276,277&measures=20100). Checked 2026-11-12.
3. ONS via Nomis. Census 2021 TS012, Country of birth: Somalia. [nomisweb.co.uk](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2032_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=TYPE154&c2021_cob_58=26&measures=20100). Checked 2026-11-12.
4. ONS via Nomis. Census 2021 TS024, Main language (detailed), Leicester. [nomisweb.co.uk](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2043_1.data.csv?date=latest&geography=E06000016&measures=20100). Checked 2026-11-12.
5. Office for National Statistics. "Somali populations, England and Wales: Census 2021." 4 October 2023. [ons.gov.uk](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/articles/somalipopulationsenglandandwales/census2021). Checked 2026-11-12.
6. Nielsen, K. B. "Next Stop Britain: The Influence of Transnational Networks on the Secondary Movement of Danish Somalis." Sussex Migration Working Paper 22, University of Sussex, March 2004. [sussex.ac.uk](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-centre-for-migration-research/documents/mwp22.pdf). Checked 2026-11-12.
7. Lindley, A. and Van Hear, N. "New Europeans on the Move: A preliminary review of the onward migration of refugees within the European Union." COMPAS Working Paper 57, University of Oxford, 2007. [compas.ox.ac.uk](https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/WP-2007-057-Lindley-VanHear_Onward_Migration_Refugees_EU.pdf). Checked 2026-11-12.
8. European Commission, CORDIS. "Secondary movements of Somalis within Europe" (FP7 project 219485), final report summary, 2010. [cordis.europa.eu](https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/219485/reporting). Checked 2026-11-12.
9. Van Liempt, I. "'And then one day they all moved to Leicester': the relocation of Somalis from the Netherlands to the UK explained." Population, Space and Place 17(3), 2011. [doi.org/10.1002/psp.605](https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.605). Checked 2026-11-12.
10. UK Parliament, Hansard. Written answers, "Dutch Somalians," HC Deb 1 July 2002 vol 388 c184W. [api.parliament.uk](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/2002/jul/01/dutch-somalians). Checked 2026-11-12.
11. Charity Commission for England and Wales. Somali Community Parents Association (SOCOPA), charity 1152565. [register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5037812/full-print). Checked 2026-11-12.
12. Story of Leicester (Leicester City Council). "A city of diversity." [storyofleicester.info](https://storyofleicester.info/city-stories/a-city-of-diversity). Checked 2026-11-12.
13. Leicester City Council. "The city's case for proper funding for its population". c. 2007. https://cabinet.leicester.gov.uk/documents/s11018/THE%20CITYS%20CASE%20FOR%20PROPER%20FUNDING%20FOR%20ITS%20POPULATION.pdf. Checked 2026-11-12.
14. CORDIS (European Commission). "Secondary movements of Somalis within Europe", final report summary. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/219485/reporting. Checked 2026-11-12.
15. Washington Times. 5 Jan 2005. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/jan/5/20050105-094454-3064r/. Checked 2026-11-12.

---
I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.