Ethiopians in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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 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.
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. Two Ethiopian born immigrants to the UK were convicted in connection with the alleged attempted London bombings on 21st July 2005
.
. 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.
, the United States
and Canada
. The overwhelming majority of Ethiopians live in London
(approximately 16,800 or 84% of the total Ethiopian population in the country) with the North
, West
and South
areas being the most common places to find them. Sheffield
is home to around 1,000 Ethiopians, and there are significant numbers in Liverpool
, Leeds
and Manchester
32.28% of new Ethiopian immigrants to the UK are employed (the second highest unemployment rate of any immigrant group to the UK, only behind Angola
ns), whilst 64.44% of settled Ethiopian immigrants are employed, this is one off the largest differences between any British ethnic group. For comparison, British born people of any background have an employment rate of 73.49%.
who is of mixed Russian, German and Ethiopian ancestry has won two Academy Awards
, two Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe Award
. 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.
Related groups in the UK
Related ethnicity articles
Other notable overseas Ethiopian communities
Other
People of Ethiopia
Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 80 different ethnic groups within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000 members....
immigrants 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...
as well as their descendants. Overall, it is one of the smaller subgroups of immigrants to the UK from Africa.
History
Derg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
. 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
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
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.
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 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.
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 famineFamines in Ethiopia
Traditionally the Economy of Ethiopia was based on subsistence agriculture, with an aristocracy that consumed the surplus. Due to a number of causes, the peasants lacked incentives to either improve production or to store their excess harvest; as a result, they lived from harvest to harvest.Despite...
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. Two Ethiopian born immigrants to the UK were convicted in connection with the alleged attempted London bombings on 21st July 2005
21 July 2005 London bombings
On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks disrupted part of London's public transport system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on London Underground, and on a bus in Shoreditch...
.
Community and Culture
There are now many Ethiopian churches set up across London, including St Mary's Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Battersea ParkBattersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200 acre green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, and was opened in 1858....
. 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
Injera
Injera is a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea...
is served.
Demographics
The 2001 UK Census recorded 7,775 Ethiopian born people as living in the UK which made it the country's 17th largest African immigrant group, and the 84th most common birthplace for British people. In mid-2005 the number of Ethiopians in the UK was estimated at around 20,000, those of partial descent are unknown. The only countries with more Ethiopians are EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
. The overwhelming majority of Ethiopians live in 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...
(approximately 16,800 or 84% of the total Ethiopian population in the country) with the North
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, West
West (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
and South
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
areas being the most common places to find them. 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...
is home to around 1,000 Ethiopians, and there are significant numbers in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and 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...
32.28% of new Ethiopian immigrants to the UK are employed (the second highest unemployment rate of any immigrant group to the UK, only behind Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
ns), whilst 64.44% of settled Ethiopian immigrants are employed, this is one off the largest differences between any British ethnic group. For comparison, British born people of any background have an employment rate of 73.49%.
Notable Individuals
There are several British people of Ethiopian origin that have seen notable success in all field of life. Actor Peter UstinovPeter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
who is of mixed Russian, German and Ethiopian ancestry has won two Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, two Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
. Victor Duleep Singh
Victor Duleep Singh
Prince Victor Albert Jay Duleep Singh was the eldest son of Maharani Bamba Müller and Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of Lahore, and of the Sikh Empire, and the grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh .-Biography:...
, Frederick Duleep Singh
Frederick Duleep Singh
Prince Frederick Victor Duleep Singh MVO, TD, FSA , also known as Prince Freddy, was a younger son of Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Life and education:...
and Sophia Duleep Singh
Sophia Duleep Singh
Princess Sophia Alexandra Duleep Singh was a prominent suffragette in the United Kingdom...
are all members of the Indian royal family who are of Ethiopian descent and lived in the UK. Prince Alemayehu
Prince Alemayehu
HIH Prince Alemayehu or Alamayou of Ethiopia was the son of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. Emperor Tewodros II committed suicide after his defeat by the British, led by Sir Robert Napier, at the Battle of Magdala in 1868.The young prince was taken to Britain for safekeeping, under the care of...
was the son of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death....
who lived in the UK for the majority of his life for safekeeping.
See also
Individuals- Notable British people of Ethiopian descent
- Notable Ethiopian immigrants to the United Kingdom
Related groups in the UK
- Somali Britons
Related ethnicity articles
- People of EthiopiaPeople of EthiopiaEthiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 80 different ethnic groups within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000 members....
- Demographics of EthiopiaDemographics of EthiopiaThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Ethiopia, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
Other notable overseas Ethiopian communities
- Ethiopian AmericanEthiopian AmericanEthiopian Americans are Americans of Ethiopian descent as well as those of American and Ethiopian ancestry.- History :The first known Ethiopians visited America in 1808, when merchants from Ethiopia arrived at New York’s famous Wall Street....
- Ethiopian AustralianEthiopian AustralianOromian Australian is a term which may be used to refer to immigrants from Ethiopia to Australia and their descendants. However, as Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic country with significant inter-ethnic tensions, not all immigrants from Ethiopia accept the label "Oromian", instead preferring to identify...
Other
- African migration to the United Kingdom