London ( PP News Desk) — Somalis in the United Kingdom have drawn attention to the two options for people who select Somalia as their country of origin on the nation’s 2021 Census.
People who identify Somalia as their country of origin are then asked if they are a Somali or a Somalilander.
“This confuses parents whose children fill out the census because they might think that Somali and Somalilander are interchangeable” said Adan Ali, a community worker in West London.
The British Government recognises Somalia as one country with Mogadishu as its capital city. Somalis who identify themselves as Somalilanders claim to belong to Somaliland, a “self-proclaimed republic.”
“Subnational identities such as Somaliland, Puntland, Jubaland, Hirshabelle, Galmudug, and South West State do not constitute citizenship. It like asking a person who identifies his/her country of origin as China whether he/she is a Chinese or Hongkonger” said Faysal Yusuf, a business adviser in London.
“The Census has a built-in predictive software. If you type ‘Somal‘ it gives you two options: “Somali or Somalilander. It’s very confusing” said a person who filled out the census form online.
This article first appeared in the © Puntland Post, 2021 and is republished with permission
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