Yemeni British
Encyclopedia
Yemenis in the United Kingdom include citizens and non-citizen immigrants in the United Kingdom
of Yemen
i ancestry, as well as their descendants. Yemenis have been present in the UK since the 1860s, and are probably the longest-established Muslim
group in the country, although currently much smaller than some other British Muslim
groups.
2 Glynrhondda Street
in Cardiff
, Wales
was used as a Mosque
by Yemeni sailors who travelled between Aden
and the Cardiff Docks
. It is commonly accepted as the first Muslim
mosque in 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...
of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i ancestry, as well as their descendants. Yemenis have been present in the UK since the 1860s, and are probably the longest-established Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
group in the country, although currently much smaller than some other British Muslim
Islam in the United Kingdom
Islam has been present in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1707, though it was not legally recognised until the Trinitarian Act in 1812. Today it is the second largest religion in the country with estimates suggesting that by 2010 the total Muslim population had reached 2.869 million.The...
groups.
Demographics
The 2001 UK Census recorded 12,508 Yemeni born people in the UK, and by most recent estimates (including British born people of Yemeni descent), the community numbers around 70,000 to 80,000 people.2 Glynrhondda Street
2 Glynrhondda Street
2 Glynrhondda Street in Cathays, Cardiff is accepted as the first mosque in the United Kingdom.The masjid was founded by Yemeni and Somali sailors on their trips between Aden and Cardiff Docks, and recorded by the Register of Religious Sites , as a registered place of worship from 1860.It is still...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
was used as a Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
by Yemeni sailors who travelled between Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
and the Cardiff Docks
Cardiff Docks
Cardiff Docks is a port in south Cardiff, Wales. At its peak, the port was one of the largest dock systems in the world with a total quayage of almost...
. It is commonly accepted as the first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
mosque in the United Kingdom.
Communities
Yemenis are present across the entire UK, however cities with large and notable Yemeni populations are:- BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham 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...
The first immigrants arrived in the early 20th Century, because they were offered work in the local metal-forming trades. However, as industry declined, unemployment rose in the city, and many Yemenis returned home. Despite this, Yemenis still have a strong presence in the city and have diversified by improving educational qualifications and setting up businesses. There are an estimated 10,000 Yemenis in Birmingham, about 1% of the city's population.
- CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
Cardiff was one of the first places in the UK to see the arrival of Yemeni seamen. In the 1920s an estimated 1,500 Yemenis lived in Cardiff (they made up half of Cardiff's entire ethnic minority population). There are no reliable estimates of the present Yemeni-origin population of Cardiff.
- HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
Kingston upon Hull is also another port which saw the city's ethnic makeup drastically change in the early 20th century, although not to such an extent as in South Shields, Liverpool and the Southern Welsh Coast.
- LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool 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...
The first Yemenis arrived in Liverpool in the early 1900s, seamen and their families. The present Yemeni-origin population of Liverpool is not known, but an estimated 400 Yemeni-owned newsagents are in the city. The Liverpool Yemeni/Arabic Centre was established by locals in 1997. Most Arabs in Liverpool are of Yemeni origin.
- LondonLondonLondon 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...
Despite being the largest city in the UK and the home of the country's Yemeni embassy, it is unknown how many Yemenis live in London. Its Yemeni community is not as notable as other British locations. Many Jews of Yemenite descent live in NW London and Stamford HillStamford HillStamford Hill is a place in the north of the London Borough of Hackney, England, near the border with Haringey. It is home to Europe's largest Hasidic Jewish and Adeni Jewish community.Stamford Hill is NNE of Charing Cross.-History:...
- ManchesterManchesterManchester 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...
Many Yemenis migrated to Manchester around the early 20th century, largely attracted to the city's growing industrial base. They are located across the whole city, but one of the most noted communities is Salford, where today at least 500 people are of Yemeni origin.
- MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
Middlesbrough is another industrial town that witnessed a significant number of Yemeni arrivals. The present Yemeni population is not known, but it is considerably smaller than the Yemeni population of the mid 1900s. This is due to decreasing industry, with many Yemenis either returning to Yemen or migrating to the Arab states of the Persian GulfArab states of the Persian Gulf"Arab states of the Persian Gulf" or "Arab Persian Gulf states" or "Persian Gulf Arab states" or "Arabic Persian Gulf states" or "Arab States of The Gulf", are terms that refer to the six Arab states of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, bordering the Persian Gulf....
or the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
- NewportNewportNewport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
The Welsh port is home to a fairly large Yemeni community that consists of several generations. Many Yemenis came to the city to seek a better life.
- SheffieldSheffieldSheffield 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...
One of the UK's largest Yemeni communities is located in Sheffield, one of the industrial cities that attracted immigrants to work in the many factories that were experiencing a stage of prosperity in the mid 1900s. Yemenis number between 3,500 and 9,000 in Sheffield.
- South ShieldsSouth ShieldsSouth Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
Although not the largest Yemeni community in the UK, South Shields is the most notable. A wave of Yemeni sailors came to the UK in the late 20th century, which makes it one of the newest communities. Despite this, the period between now and then has seen drastic change in the town. Even Muhammed Ali visited the local Yemeni Mosque and School in 1977. Today an estimated 1,000 - 3,000 people of Yemeni origin reside in the city (around 2% of the local population). For more information see South Shields' Yemeni community.
- SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
Swansea is one of three Welsh, and seven British ports that saw a large number of Yemeni seamen arrive for work and better living prospects throughout the 20th century.
Notable Yemenis in the United Kingdom
- H.E Dr. Mohamed Qubaty, FRCS & Politician
- Naseem HamedNaseem HamedNaseem Hamed is an English former professional boxer.He is the former WBO, WBC, IBF, & Lineal featherweight champion, and European bantamweight champion....
, Boxer - Norman HassanNorman HassanNorman Lamont Hassan is an English Musician of Yemeni and Welsh Decent who is best known as being a member of the reggae band UB40 since its foundation in 1978.-Early Life:...
(half Yemeni) , Singer of UB40UB40UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles... - Khalid Saeed YafaiKhalid Saeed YafaiKhalid Yafai is a British amateur boxer, ranked 3rd in the world at the 52kg weight division.-Career:Like Naseem Hamed, flyweight Yafai is the son of Yemeni parents...
, Boxer
See also
- British Arabs
- Demographics of YemenDemographics of YemenThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Yemen, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.-Population:The U.S...
- Yemeni community of South Shields
External links
- Yemenis in Britain
- Yemeni Exiles in the UK
- Yemeni Students in the UK
- Yemeni Embassy in London
- Yemenis in Birmingham
- Yemenis in Sheffield
- British-Yemeni Society
- Yemenis in Britain site
- History of Yemenis in the UK
- Yemenis in Liverpool
- Yemenis in Salford
- Cardiff Yemini Community Association
- Yemenis in Newport
- Boarding House, a 2009 short documentary film about the Yemeni community in South Shields, by David CampbellDavid Campbell (academic)David Campbell , Professor of Cultural and Political Geography in the Department of Geography at Durham University in the UK. He also serves as Associate Director for the Durham Centre for Advanced Photography Studies...