On 19 February 2026, the British Institute in Eastern Africa hosted the Somali Mobilities Forum, bringing together scholars and practitioners to explore how Somali experiences of mobility are changing. The forum examined contemporary forms of displacement, the heightened hostility faced by Somali migrants and refugees, and the strategies through which communities and their allies are responding, from local solidarities to legal advocacy and policy initiatives.
RLRH Lead Researchers Fardosa Salah and Mohamed Hassan both contributed to the forum. Fardosa presented on repatriated Somalis returning to Dadaab and the patterns of cyclical migration that shape many refugees’ experiences. Mohamed participated in the closed workshop discussions, which reflected on how Somali mobility continues to be shaped by both constraint and agency. With humanitarian resources shrinking and migration policies increasingly securitised, the conversations explored how Somali communities continue to rely on long-standing networks and adaptive strategies to navigate changing political and social conditions.
You can explore Fardosa and Mohamed’s papers, as well as more research outputs, in the RLRH Working Paper Series.
