From Refugee To Lord Mayor Of Bristol

Twenty years ago, Yassin Mohamud arrived in the UK as a refugee from Somalia – fleeing the civil war that had torn his home country apart – to join his family in Bristol.

Since his arrival, he has dedicated his life to volunteering and community service, eventually earning a university degree in Public Services from the University of Plymouth. A resident of the St Jude area for 15 years, Mohamud has served as a Green Party councillor since 2021, continuing his work to combat racial inequality and improve living conditions for all.

His inauguration as Bristol’s Lord Mayor, on 12 May 2026, marked a significant shift in Bristol’s approach to combating racism, both on the streets and within its systems.

Just a year prior, in 2025, the city faced a very different political reality. Arron Banks, a former businessman and the Reform UK mayoral candidate for Bristol, had a chance of becoming Lord Mayor.

Banks had described Bristol as “Little Somalia” in 2017. At Mohamud’s inauguration, several residents I spoke to reflected on the tensions and debates that had surrounded local politics in recent years. But the mood among those gathered was one of optimism and celebration.

Many of those attending the inauguration felt that Mohamud will bring the community together, pushing for a vision of “unity, working together, and helping each other out”.

In an interview with the BBC, Mohamud explained his desire “to listen, to serve, and to work with the people of Bristol” to “build a city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive”.

These messages of unity and hope have resonated deeply with the people of Bristol – a city that has long been on the forefront of fighting racism and was shaken by far-right attacks in the summer of 2024.

Because of Mohamud’s own experience as both an immigrant and an asylum seeker, his inauguration carries significant symbolic value. It gives a voice to the city’s most vulnerable residents, those who often feel they have none.