Over the past year, my colleague Cindy Horst has been researching how inclusion and exclusion processes have affected the Somali community in Oslo. As part of a larger “Somalis in European Cities” project, it has just released a wonderful set of illustrated stories depicting life in seven different cities around Europe (click image above to access). Somalis are one of the largest and perhaps most conspicuous refugee groups in Norway, and do not receive the most flattering portrayals in the media–particularly given the recent Westgate attacks being potentially linked to a Somali-born Norwegian. But these stories illustrate the diversity of asylum-seeker experiences here, from the difficulties of those who wait years before being “processed” by the state, to the children of refugees who want little to do with Somali culture. Check it out!
Meet the Somalis is a collection of 14 illustrated stories depicting the real life experiences of Somalis in seven cities in Europe: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Leicester, London, Malmo, and Oslo. The stories allow readers a unique insight into what everyday life is like as a Somali in Europe. Meet the Somalis is based on the firsthand testimonies of Somalis in Europe interviewed during six months in 2013.