Algerians in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Algerians in the United Kingdom include Algeria
n born immigrants and asylum seekers to the UK
and their British-born descendants.
(ICAR), the UK's Algerian population is not well known or understood by the wider community. The number of Algerians was small until the early 1990s, since when it has increased, partly as a result of the Algerian Civil War
of 1991 to 2002. However, the population remains small incomparison with other, more well-established refugee groups. ICAR also argue that "there is little sense of a unified 'community'" of Algerians in the UK and that there is some degree of mutual suspicion amongst British Algerians.
has put the figure at 40,000 (the same source also believes that many entered the country illegally on fake Spanish and French passports), whilst ICAR estimates between 25,000 and 30,000 ethnic Algerians in the UK. The UK is home to the fourth largest overseas Algerian population, behind the huge community in France
and slightly behind the Algerian populations in Spain
and Canada
.
area - in particular Walthamstow
, Edgware
, Leyton
and Finsbury Park
(the latter of which has come to be commonly known as 'Little Algiers'). Besides the British capital, significant communities of Algerians reside in Glasgow
, Sheffield
, Birmingham
, Manchester
, Leicester
and Bournemouth
.
found that the Algerian community in the UK in general was fairly young, close to half of all Algerians in the UK were projected to be under 40 years old. As already explained, the Algerian community in the UK is a fairly small but fast emmerging ethnic group. The same IOM investigation suggested that out of all the Algerians living in the UK 20% of them were registered in the 1991 UK Census and a further 30% in 2001 UK Census - with the remaining 50% having come during the first decade of the 21st century. In terms of gender, the 2001 census showed that 71% of Algerians in the UK were male, whilst recent estimates have suggested the imbalance between males and females could be even greater. This is thought to be down to the fact that men without documents are more likely to reach the UK than women without documents.
, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, Nigeria
and Sierra Leone
as the African countries with the highest number of individuals applying for and receiving asylum rights in the UK. Below is a table showing the number of Algerians who applied for asylum in the UK compared to the number who actually gained it (1998–2007).
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n born immigrants and asylum seekers to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and their British-born descendants.
Background
According to the Information Centre about Asylum and RefugeesInformation Centre about Asylum and Refugees
The Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees is an organisation involved in academic research and information provision on asylum seekers and refugees in the United Kingdom. Launched in 2000, ICAR was initially based at King's College London...
(ICAR), the UK's Algerian population is not well known or understood by the wider community. The number of Algerians was small until the early 1990s, since when it has increased, partly as a result of the Algerian Civil War
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost between 150,000 and 200,000 lives, in a population of about 25,010,000 in 1990 and 31,193,917 in 2000.More than 70 journalists were...
of 1991 to 2002. However, the population remains small incomparison with other, more well-established refugee groups. ICAR also argue that "there is little sense of a unified 'community'" of Algerians in the UK and that there is some degree of mutual suspicion amongst British Algerians.
Population
According to the 2001 UK Census there were 10,670 Algerian born people residing in the country, which constituted the sixth largest Arab immigrant group and the seventy fourth largest overall immigrant group. Recent estimates for the number of Algerians in the UK including their British-born descendants vary, The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
has put the figure at 40,000 (the same source also believes that many entered the country illegally on fake Spanish and French passports), whilst ICAR estimates between 25,000 and 30,000 ethnic Algerians in the UK. The UK is home to the fourth largest overseas Algerian population, behind the huge community in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and slightly behind the Algerian populations in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Population distribution
Most Algerians in the UK can be found in the Greater LondonGreater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
area - in particular Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, Leyton
Leyton
Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....
and Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a 46 hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. Officially part of the London area of Harringay, it is also adjacent to Stroud Green, the Finsbury Park district and Manor House. It was one of the first of the great London parks laid out in the Victorian...
(the latter of which has come to be commonly known as 'Little Algiers'). Besides the British capital, significant communities of Algerians reside in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
.
Age and gender
An 2007 investigation by the International Organization for MigrationInternational Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
found that the Algerian community in the UK in general was fairly young, close to half of all Algerians in the UK were projected to be under 40 years old. As already explained, the Algerian community in the UK is a fairly small but fast emmerging ethnic group. The same IOM investigation suggested that out of all the Algerians living in the UK 20% of them were registered in the 1991 UK Census and a further 30% in 2001 UK Census - with the remaining 50% having come during the first decade of the 21st century. In terms of gender, the 2001 census showed that 71% of Algerians in the UK were male, whilst recent estimates have suggested the imbalance between males and females could be even greater. This is thought to be down to the fact that men without documents are more likely to reach the UK than women without documents.
Asylum seekers
Algeria is a significant source of asylum seekers to the UK, most of these are law-abiding and peaceful citizens however over recent years numerous Algerian individuals residing in the UK have come to public attention largely due to their extremist views. Algeria is by far the largest source of applications for asylum from Arab North Africa to the UK and alongside SomaliaSomalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
as the African countries with the highest number of individuals applying for and receiving asylum rights in the UK. Below is a table showing the number of Algerians who applied for asylum in the UK compared to the number who actually gained it (1998–2007).
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications received | 1,260 | 1,385 | 1,635 | 1,140 | 1,060 | 550 | 490 | 255 | 225 | 260 |
| Applications accepted | 310 | 475 | 65 | 65 | 20 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Applications rejected | 950 | 910 | 1,570 | 1,075 | 1,040 | 545 | 480 | 250 | 225 | 260 |
| Percentage successful | 25% | 34% | 4% | 6% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
Citizenship acquisition
Below is a table showing how many Algerians were granted British citizenship and the right of abode (1998–2007).| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons granted citizenship | 332 | 376 | 629 | 705 | 1,345 | 1,145 | 1,255 | 1,485 | 1,015 | 1,170 |