'We need leaders who bring people together' Community hits back

‘WE have every right to be here,’ Somalis in Bristol have insisted after millionaire Arron Banks blamed them for crime in the city.

- John WIMPERIS

Mr Banks, a major donor to Brexit campaigners, is the Reform candidate for West of England metro mayor. He called Bristol a “little Somalia” in 2017 and, when questioned last week, doubled down and blamed Somalis for drugs and crime in Bristol.

Somalis in the city say he should be ashamed of the comments.

Fadumo Farah, who works with community union Acorn campaigning on housing issues in Bristol, said: “We feel like we have been the punching bag for politicians at the moment.”

She said: “He needs to understand that, as a Somali community, we are contributing when it comes to community work. We work in NHS, we work with youths, we are artistic people, we have a culture, and we have every right to be here.”

The British first colonised part of Somalia in 1884 and it was a part of the British Empire until 1960. During the 76 years under British rule, many Somalis worked as seamen on British ships and settled in port cities such as Bristol. Today the city has the country’s third largest Somali community after London and Birmingham.

Ms Farah said: “We are not invaders at all. We came here legally, contributed to the society, [are a] key part of the society, and our children - 90% of them - were born in Bristol and they will be Bristolian whether he likes it or not.”

Mr Banks faced a backlash in 2017 when he posted on X (then Twitter): “Bristol looks like little Somalia. Sod all integration and horrendous problems.”