Somalis in Pakistan

Somalis in Pakistan are residents of Pakistan who are of Somali ancestry. They are a small community of mainly students as well as some secondary migrants, most of whom arrived after the start of the civil war in Somalia in the early 1990s.

Somalis in Pakistan
Total population
2,500 (2012)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Islamabad · Karachi · Lahore
Languages
Somali · Arabic · Urdu
Religion
Islam

Demographics

The Somali community in Pakistan is very small, comprising around 2,500 immigrants as of late 2012.[1] It comprised 4,000[1] to 8,000 migrants only a few months earlier,[2] but steadily shrunk in size as Somali immigrants effected a secondary migration to other countries.[1] The majority of Somalis are students pursuing education in various universities across the country.[1]

Besides the majority students, 535 refugees and 37 asylum-seekers were at the time also legally registered with the UNHCR in Islamabad. Almost half of them arrived during the height of Somalia's Islamist insurgency between 2006 and 2009. 10 percent were young children and teenagers, and two percent were born in Pakistan.[3][4] They formed the largest refugee group in Pakistan after Afghans.[5]

Most Somalis in Pakistan are concentrated in major urban centers like Islamabad and Karachi.[1] A few hundred live in Lahore.[5][6] Islamabad's G-10 sector is home to several Somali businesses and residents, and is known as "Somali Street".[5]

Community

The Somali community in Pakistan mainly consists of students,[7] as well as some secondary migrants who arrived after the civil war in Somalia broke out in the early 1990s.[2] They are generally a young, educated community, supported by their parents who are based in the Middle East.[2] Others receive remittances directly from relatives in Somalia.[8]

The secondary migrants moved to Pakistan with the ultimate aim of emigrating to North America, Europe and Australia. As of mid-2012, most of the former were legally registered with the UNHCR in Islamabad.[1] The agency offered skills-training programs in English, primary education courses, as well as provisions to cover basic amenities and living expenses. Members of the community sought to improve the quality and consistency of these services by raising their concerns with the relevant authorities.[3][9] Additionally, the UNHCR issued Proof of Registration (POR) Cards to the secondary migrants in conjunction with NADRA.[1] Others wielded a National Aliens Registration Authority (NARA) Card.[7] A section of the younger generation among this group was born and raised in Pakistan.[5] The expiration of the POR Cards in December 2012 saw a more expedited movement of the transient migrants from Pakistan to other countries.[1]

Somali pupils in Pakistan mostly study engineering, medicine and pharmacy. They typically return to Somalia after having completed their studies due to a lack of employment opportunities for migrants in Pakistan,[1] as well as a desire to contribute to the post-conflict reconstruction process in their home country.[10] Others have moved on to other nations, drawn by the possibility of better work options.[1]

Somali students pursue higher studies in Pakistan due to entry restrictions and the higher cost of education in the Western world.[11] They often do so through the auspices of the local Somalia embassy. The embassy provides scholarship opportunities to the pupils, particularly those in the field of engineering. Students studying medicine pay tuition costs ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 for a five-year term.[7]

A third tier of Somali pupils arrived through individuals and private offices, like many other foreigners. These parties specialize in visa requirements, processing them for a small fee.[7]

Additionally, other Somali students and foreigners in general travel to Pakistan for Tabligh purposes. They mainly migrate for da'wah and receiving religious instruction. Most such students attend local Islamic universities or seminaries with free tuition or low instruction fees.[7]

Organizations

Somalis in Pakistan are diplomatically represented by the Somalia embassy in Islamabad.[12]

Various Somali-run organizations also serve the community. Among these are the Somali Students Union[13] and the Somali Forum.[3]

See also

References
  1. Fakhr, Alhan (15 July 2012). "Insecure once again". Daily Jang. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  2. Raxanreeb (24 August 2012). "Al Qaeda in Somalia recruits Somali students in Pakistan". The Friday Times. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. Mussadaq, Maha (27 May 2012). "Strangers in a strange land". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  4. Mehmood, Rabia (29 June 2015). "Footprints: Strangers in a strange land". Dawn. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  5. Khan, Sher Ali (24 August 2015). "Islamabad's little Somalia". The Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  6. Nauman, Qasim; Shah, Saeed (30 November 2016). "Pakistan's Somali Community Shocked After Attack at Ohio State University". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  7. Osman, Abdulkadir Mohamed. "The Level and Density of Somali Students in Pakistan". Hiiraan Online. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  8. Lindley, Anna (2011). The Early Morning Phonecall: Somali Refugees' Remittances. Berghahn Books. p. 67. ISBN 9781845458324.
  9. "Protest: Somali refugees take to roads". Express Tribune. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  10. "Graduation ceremony for Somali students held in Pakistan for 20 engineers from the engineering faculties". Somalinewsnow. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  11. Palme, Joakim; Tamas, Kristof (2006). Globalizing Migration Regimes: New Challenges to Transnational Cooperation. Ashgate Publishing. p. 87. ISBN 9781409490890.
  12. "Somalia Embassy in Pakistan". VisaHQ. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  13. "COMSTECH 14th Meeting". Ministry of Education, Culture & Higher Education. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
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