Ethiopians in the United Kingdom

Ethiopians in the United Kingdom
Total population
Ethiopian-born residents
15,494 (2011 Census)
Regions with significant populations
Primarily
London
Languages
English, Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, Gurage, Sidamo, others
Religion
Predominantly
Christianity and Islam (including Ethiopian Orthodox and Protestant), Judaism
Others
Traditional beliefs

Ethiopians in the United Kingdom are an ethnic group that consist of Ethiopian immigrants to the United Kingdom as well as their descendants. Overall, it is one of the smaller subgroups of immigrants to the UK from Africa.[1]

History

Injera is an Ethiopian dish that has become increasingly popular in the UK through the Ethiopian British community

In 1578 George Best, a travelling diarist, wrote of meeting “an Ethiopian as blacke as a cole brought into England”.[2]

The first wave of Ethiopian immigrants to the UK occurred in 1974, when many were forced from their homes when Haile Selassie's government was overthrown by the military junta, Derg. Many of these were political refugees who left behind high paid and respectable jobs. The second, larger wave of Ethiopians to the UK was in 1991, when Ethiopians of all walks of life claimed asylum in the UK. Another civil war in the country, and continuous political unrest even today means that more and more Ethiopians are leaving their homeland to seek better lives abroad.[3]

Many Ethiopians found cultural adjustment, particularly in the capital, very difficult. It is even claimed that many new immigrants believed that seeing a British policeman was something to be frightened of. It was certainly a hard time for them, especially considering that their claim for asylum may not be accepted and they had no other family or links in the UK. Over time, many Ethiopian Community Centres were formed which helped the population to develop and rebuild their lives. Prior to the civil wars, Ethiopians were free to come to the UK to study, many of whom stayed and are undoubtedly amongst the thousands who now form an ageing population. The Ethiopian community in the UK is now an extremely well integrated group that consists of many generations.[3]

Demographics

The 2001 Census recorded 6,561 Ethiopian-born people residing in the UK.[1] According to the 2011 UK Census, there were 15,058 Ethiopian-born residents in England, 151 in Wales,[4] 258 in Scotland,[5] and 27 in Northern Ireland.[6] Of this total of 15,494 Ethiopian-born residents, 10,517 lived in Greater London.[4]

Contemporary issues

Many Ethiopians who have immigrated to the UK and their descendants express concern about the existing troubles in Ethiopia, including the political and civil unrest as well as the country's famine problem. A significant number of Ethiopians in the UK contribute and donate a lot of time and money to helping troubled people in their homeland.[7] Two Ethiopian born immigrants to the UK were convicted in connection with the alleged attempted London bombings on 21 July 2005.[8]

Community and culture

There are now many Ethiopian churches set up across London, including St Mary's Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Battersea Park. However, most of the vibrant Ethiopian churches in London and across many cities in the UK are pentecostal or of other charismatic Christian denominations. There is also an increasing number of Ethiopian restaurants in the UK, where such Ethiopian cuisine as injera is served.[3]

Notable individuals

There are several British people of Ethiopian origin that have seen notable success in all field of life. Actor Peter Ustinov who is of mixed Russian, German and Ethiopian ancestry has won two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe Award.[9] Victor Duleep Singh, Frederick Duleep Singh and Sophia Duleep Singh are all members of the Indian royal family who are of Ethiopian descent and lived in the UK. Prince Alemayehu was the son of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia who lived in the UK for the majority of his life for safekeeping.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Archived from the original on 11 May 2005. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  2. ↑ The Economist http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21689606-mainly-caribbean-community-has-become-mainly-african-oneand-poised-become-more. Retrieved 30 January 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 1 2 3 "Ethiopian London". BBC. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  4. 1 2 "2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Country of birth (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Country of Birth - Full Detail: QS206NI". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  7. ↑ Concern from Ethiopian Britons about their native Ethiopia
  8. ↑ 21 July 2005 convicted bombers
  9. ↑ Peter Ustinov ethnic origins

External links

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