Introduction / History

Many Somalis have fled to the Netherlands since 1991. The peak was in 2009 with 6000 Somali asylum seekers. Five years after receiving leave to stay they can apply for Dutch citizenship and after that quite a few Somalis have migrated to the UK. (This migration may cease when the UK will have left the EU.) At present (January 2018), there are some 40,000 Somalis in the country.

Where Are they Located?

They are located throughout the country, but there are some areas with a relatively high number of Somali residents, like the city of Tilburg where the north-west district is nicknamed 'Little Mogadishu '.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Almost all of them are Muslim, but there has been a small secret Somali Church since 2008 (which was the 'Year of prayer for Somali's '; God has answered these prayers!). There are some 100 Somali Christians known in the Netherlands, most of them Evangelical. There may be 'secret Christians' not known to us also.

Prayer Points

All Somali Christians are first generation converts. Pray for growth in faith and boldness in their witnessing. There are serious threats from fellow Somalis regularly.
Pray also for mature Christians to become spiritual leaders among their own fellowship.

Scripture Prayers for the Somali in Netherlands.