United Kingdom
Somalis held: unknownthe Home Office publishes removals by nationality but OPR has not yet extracted the Somali figure; UK returns overall reached about 38,000 in 2025, with enforced returns up 21 per cent
Britain holds one of the largest Somali communities outside Africa, and Somali men are over-represented in its prisons. Removals to Mogadishu have been possible since a 2014 'test pilot' and are set to grow under 2026 rules that make a twelve-month sentence grounds for deportation.
What is known
2014
The first Somali forcibly returned to Mogadishu under a Home Office 'Somalia test pilot scheme' said he was punched and kicked by British escorts on Turkish Airlines flights via Istanbul, pressured to sign a form saying he returned voluntarily, and left in a cell with a tooth knocked out. Thirteen people were removed to Somalia in one quarter that year. aljazeera.com
2025–2026
UK returns rose to about 38,000 in 2025; enforced returns rose 21 per cent; foreign national offender returns rose 84 per cent between 2022 and 2024. Rules amended in July 2026 make a custodial or suspended sentence of at least twelve months, for convictions from 22 March 2026, grounds for deportation. streamlinefeed.co.ke
2025–2026
The Home Office ran 74 charter removal flights in the year to January 2026, carrying 2,835 people at £13.8 million. modernity.news
Open questions
- How many Somali nationals were removed to Somalia in 2025 and 2026, and by what route?
- How many Somalis are in British prisons and immigration removal centres today?
- What happens to a man deported to Mogadishu after twenty or thirty years in Britain, with no Somali and no family there?
- Are the British escorts' restraints and conduct on Somali removals documented anywhere?
Cases
| Date | Who | Country | What happened | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-06 | Unnamed Somali man, 'Somalia test pilot scheme' | United Kingdom | First person forcibly returned to Mogadishu under the Home Office pilot; described being punched and kicked by escorts on flights via Istanbul and pressured to sign a voluntary-return form. | Returned to Mogadishu | aljazeera.com |
Answer one of these questions
If you were held in United Kingdom, or you know someone who was, or you work in the system: give a testimony, pitch a piece, or WhatsApp OPR at +252 61 977 5580. In Somali or English. Named or not.