A Somali migrant has requested deportation from Britain, claiming war-torn Somalia is "safer than Nuneaton".

The 50-year-old man, identified as Yusuf, arrived in Britain seeking refuge two decades ago but recently lost his work permit after what authorities described as a "serious" assault.

For five months, he has petitioned the Home Office to arrange his return to Somalia.

"This country is not safe, but my country [Somalia] is now safe - I want to go back," Yusuf told Sky News.

Yusuf maintains he would face less danger in his homeland than in Nuneaton, where he currently lives, despite Somalia's ongoing civil conflict, which has ravaged the East African nation since 1991.

The Warwickshire town has experienced mounting friction following demonstrations against asylum seekers, triggered by allegations that two Afghan refugees were detained for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old child.

The asylum seeker population has expanded from just a few individuals several years ago to 247 currently.

All refugees in the area reside in shared accommodation rather than dedicated hotels, which has angered residents grappling with housing shortages.

A Somali migrant has requested deportation from Britain, claiming war-torn Somalia is 'safer than Nuneaton'

Official statistics indicate the town hosts 19 asylum seekers per 10,000 inhabitants, ranking 87th nationally for per capita numbers.

Local resident Alan, 77, expressed his opposition to illegal arrivals, telling the Daily Mail: "I'm not too happy about that, because we've got young, 20-year-olds getting married who are struggling to get on the property ladder."

The community's divisions became starkly apparent during a television interview with Zahin, a 32-year-old entrepreneur who relocated from Malawi at age six.

Two women interrupted his interview, with one brandishing alcohol and hurling racial slurs including "dirty monkeys" whilst shouting "save our kids".

Somalia has been war torn for over 30 years

The second woman launched into religious accusations before claiming: "That's the issue we're having with youse [sic] in our country, you're raping our kids."

The leader of Warwickshire County Council, George Finch, is Reform's youngest councillor and has spoken out to defend local protesters against accusations of racism.

He argued it was wrong to put asylum seekers in houses and they should be kept in disused army bases instead.

Local business owner Zahin said: "We have a right to protest for whatever cause we want to: that's the beauty of living in England."

The leader of Warwickshire County Council has spoken out to defend local protesters against accusations of racism

He advocated for constructive engagement rather than confrontation, stating: "Right now, I don't think we're a part of a community, it's more like sides."

Labour's latest asylum crackdown has been criticised by the Conservatives, who claim that "a small boat to the UK is a one-way ticket to one of Keir Starmer's cushy hotels – paid for by hard-pressed taxpayers."

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "Labour has flung open the doors to the UK and this year they have let in the highest number of illegal immigrants across the Channel ever. This weak Government has lost control of our borders.

"They are too weak to do what's needed to fix this – which is to make sure that every single illegal immigrant is removed immediately upon arrival. Then, no one would bother crossing in the first place."

A group of migrants walk through the water to reach an inflatable dinghy in an attempt to cross the English Channel | REUTERS

A Home Office spokesman said: "This government inherited an asylum system in chaos, with tens of thousands of asylum seekers stuck in taxpayer-funded hotels waiting for their claims to be processed.

"At their peak, less than two years ago, there were 400 asylum hotels in use at a cost of almost £9million a day.

"We have taken urgent action to fix the system - more than doubling asylum decisions and cutting the backlog by 41 per cent.

"The cost of asylum hotels was reduced by almost a billion pounds in 2024/25 compared to the previous year, and we have put in place the major reforms which will allow us to end the use of asylum hotels entirely by the end of this Parliament.

"In our first year in government, we also ensured the removal of 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK, including almost 5,200 foreign national offenders, a 14 per cent increase on the same period twelve months earlier."