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Displacement and mass migration have contributed to extremely rapid urbanization in the Somali territories of the Horn of Africa. Often displaced from rural areas, newcomers to cities hope to find safety and the means to rebuild their lives. However, displaced people often find themselves stranded in dilapidated settlements and entangled in exploitative labour relations or exhausting forms of petty entrepreneurship in order to survive. This article builds on photographic and testimonial accounts from urban in-migrants to provide a snapshot of the ways in which these labour relations perpetuate socio-economic precarity while also underpinning the dynamic (re)construction of modern Somali cities.