Becoming Visible: The Somali Community and Substance Use in London

In 2006 Adfam was awarded a three year grant by the Department for Communities and Local Government to work with the Somali community around substance use and family support in London.  Becoming visible gives an overview of the issues affecting the Somali community, and provides recommendations on how these may be addressed.

This research found that the Somali community is disengaged and marginalised from mainstream British society. Multiple social exclusions have affected the ability of Somalis to act as a progressive community in Britain. As such, the Somali community in the UK has been viewed as ‘impenetrable’ and ‘uncommunicative’ and is therefore classified as ‘hard to reach’ by policy makers and service providers. This study found that Somalis experience a range of difficulties in the UK depending on their age and experiences, and other factors. These difficulties cause marginalisation and make it less likely that members of the Somali community will access mainstream services.