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With knife crime across England and Wales, some Somali families in the UK are taking the radical decision to send their sons back to Somalia in an effort to keep them out of gangs and off the street.
In the city of Kismayo, Somalia – – armed government soldiers patrol the streets and concrete barricades are placed around busy areas to prevent suicide bombers. The country’s government is battling Al Shabab, a group linked to Al Qaeda, while it also combats drought.
Saeed returned to Somalia from Leicester a year ago.
“I ain't gonna lie, there is a lot of knife crime in England, it's always been there, it's always been there,” he says.
“You know it's madness, to see that, to be involved, to see your friend getting stabbed, to see your cousin getting stabbed - all kinds of troubles.”
After he was caught smoking marijuana and driving without a licence, Mohammed was sent back to his homeland by his father.
“As the years go by it was only a matter of time, I would be influenced to do other things like selling drugs,” he says.
“So before I was influenced I was advised, I was given a good advice by my parents so I think it was the right time that my parents intervened.”
According to , young men are a few of the hundreds who have flown to Somalia, Somaliand and Kenya due to rising crime in the UK.
The Somali diaspora traditionally send money back to their families and are held in high esteem.
On their return they are welcomed back with open arms.
Despite their families escaping a civil war in the country 20 years ago, they now find themselves also fleeing violence. They’ve returned home, but to a place they barely know.
“It's beautiful, actually I am happy to be in my hometown, my country, we're the young generation, that's the only thing I can say,” Saeed says.
