Bulgarian migration to the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Bulgarians in the United Kingdom include people from Bulgaria
who have migrated to the United Kingdom
and their descendents. The number of Bulgarian-born people resident in the UK has risen from 5,351 at the time of the 2001 Census to an estimated 35,000 in 2009.
; political and economic emigration was also scarce. It was only around 1944–1945 that a more apparent circle of Bulgarian political emigrants was formed in the United Kingdom.
During the Cold War
, when Bulgaria was a socialist state known as the People's Republic of Bulgaria (1944–1989), the Bulgarian community in the United Kingdom numbered some 3,000–4,000, mostly in England
. Emigration to the United Kingdom was very active in the 1990s and 2000s. By 2000, the Bulgarian community numbered over 10,000 according to unofficial data. Other estimates from the early 21st century claim over 30,000 Bulgarians live permanently or temporarily (as students and workers) in the capital London
alone. The 2001 UK Census recorded 5,351 people born in Bulgaria.
When Bulgaria joined the European Union
in January 2007, the British government placed transitional restrictions on the rights of Bulgarians to move to the UK, which were subsequently extended and currently remain in place. Estimates by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria
put the number of Bulgarians in the UK at 70,000–80,000. However, the Office for National Statistics
estimates that, in 2009, 35,000 Bulgarian-born people were resident in the UK.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
who have migrated to the United Kingdom
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 descendents. The number of Bulgarian-born people resident in the UK has risen from 5,351 at the time of the 2001 Census to an estimated 35,000 in 2009.
History
A true Bulgarian community in the United Kingdom was formed relatively recently as compared to Bulgarian communities in other countries in Western Europe. Few Bulgarian students enrolled at British universities before World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; political and economic emigration was also scarce. It was only around 1944–1945 that a more apparent circle of Bulgarian political emigrants was formed in the United Kingdom.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, when Bulgaria was a socialist state known as the People's Republic of Bulgaria (1944–1989), the Bulgarian community in the United Kingdom numbered some 3,000–4,000, mostly in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Emigration to the United Kingdom was very active in the 1990s and 2000s. By 2000, the Bulgarian community numbered over 10,000 according to unofficial data. Other estimates from the early 21st century claim over 30,000 Bulgarians live permanently or temporarily (as students and workers) in the capital London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
alone. The 2001 UK Census recorded 5,351 people born in Bulgaria.
When Bulgaria joined the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in January 2007, the British government placed transitional restrictions on the rights of Bulgarians to move to the UK, which were subsequently extended and currently remain in place. Estimates by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bulgaria)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria is the ministry charged with overseeing the foreign relations of Bulgaria. It has been in existence since shortly after the Liberation of Bulgaria, with the first minister stepping into office on 17 July 1879...
put the number of Bulgarians in the UK at 70,000–80,000. However, the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
estimates that, in 2009, 35,000 Bulgarian-born people were resident in the UK.
Notable people
- Paul DickovPaul DickovPaul Dickov is a retired Scottish footballer, turned manager who is currently in charge of League One side Oldham Athletic...
(b. 1972), Scottish footballer of possible Bulgarian descent - Boncho Genchev (b. 1964), footballer, first Bulgarian in the Premier League, currently residing in London
- Stanislav IanevskiStanislav IanevskiStanislav Ianevski is a Bulgarian actor, known for playing Viktor Krum in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.Ianevski was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and has lived in England and Israel. While attending Mill Hill School in the United Kingdom, Ianevski had no particular acting...
(b. 1985), actor - Georgi MarkovGeorgi MarkovGeorgi Ivanov Markov was a Bulgarian dissident writer.Markov originally worked as a novelist and playwright, but in 1969 he defected from Bulgaria, then governed by President Todor Zhivkov...
(1929–1978), dissident writer - Gerri PeevGerri PeevGerri Peev is a Bulgarian-born, New Zealand-raised British journalist. Peev is notable for authoring a 7 March 2008 interview in The Scotsman with Samantha Power, a foreign policy advisor to U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama...
, journalist