British Arabs Explained

Group:British Arabs
عرب بريطانيا
Population: United Kingdom: 355,977 – 0.5% (2021/22 Census)
: 320,215 – 0.6% (2021)[1]
: 22,304 – 0.4% (2022)[2]
: 11,641 – 0.4% (2021)
Northern Ireland: 1,817 – 0.1% (2021)[3]
Langs:Arabic, British English
Rels:Predominantly Islam; (83.7%);
minority follows Christianity (4.1%) and other faiths (0.7%) or are irreligious (4.8%)
2021 census, NI, England and Wales only[4] [5]

British Arabs (Arabic: عرب بريطانيا) are British citizens of Arab descent. They share a common Arab ethnicity, culture, language and identity from different Arab countries. Arabs also come from non-Arab countries as ethnic minorities (e.g. Khuzestani Arabs).

The 2021 United Kingdom census recorded a population of 355,977 or 0.5% of the population in the United Kingdom, with about 40% of the whole population residing in Greater London.[1] [2] [3] In 2005, the BBC found that the majority of Arab residents in London hailed from Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, the Gulf States and Iraq.[6] The 2011 census recorded a population of 249,911 in Great Britain, with no specific figure recorded for Northern Ireland as the Arab category was introduced later in Northern Ireland.

Overview

Census designation

"British Arabs" is used as an ethnic designation by the National Association of British Arabs.[7] It is also employed by academics,[8] and in the media.[9] Unlike Black British or Asian British, the term "British Arab" was not one of those employed in government ethnicity categorisations used in the 2001 UK Census and for national statistics.[10] As a result, community members are believed to have been under-counted in previous population estimates according to the National Association of British Arabs (NABA).

This absence of a separate "Arab" category in the UK census obliged many to select other ethnicity categories.[11] In the late 2000s, the British government announced that an "Arab" ethnicity category would be added to the 2011 UK Census for the first time.[12] The decision came following lobbying by the National Association of British Arabs and other Arab organizations, who argued for the inclusion of a separate "Arab" entry to accommodate under-reported groups from the Arab world.[13]

History

19th century

Great Britain and the Arab world have engaged in commercial activities with one another since the medieval times. Yemenis began to migrate to Britain since the 1860s via Aden, the main refuelling stop in the area, and settled around the docks in the port cities of Cardiff, Liverpool, South Shields, Hull, and London.

At the end of the 19th century, Yemenis working as stokers on steamships began moving ashore and set up boarding schools in the dock area. There are now an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 Yemenis in Britain.[14]

Early 20th century

Iraqis began settling in London in the 1930s, and the UK has had a significant Iraqi population since the 1940s.[15] Liberal and radical dissidents in the Kingdom of Iraq sought refuge to the UK at the time. Supporters of the monarchy later sought refuge in the UK after it was overthrown in 1958.

Arab migration to the United Kingdom significantly began in the 1940s and 1960s when Egyptians and Moroccans came in search of employment, and this generally increased as the Arab world wrestled for independence from European colonialism.

Late 20th and 21st centuries

The Palestinian exoduses of 1948 and 1967 saw an influx and through the 70s and 80s. More Arabs arrived from the Gulf in the 1970s during the oil-boom era to set up businesses. Arab refugees also arrived as a result of conflicts in parts of the Arab world, such as the Lebanese civil war from 1975 to 1990 or the instability which followed the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The United Kingdom settled approximately 20,000 Syrian refugees amid the Syrian civil war.[16]

Demographics

British Arab population by region and country
Region / Country20212011
NumberNumber
320,2030.57%220,9850.42%
—Greater London139,7911.59%106,0201.30%
—North West43,8650.59%24,5280.35%
—West Midlands31,7900.53%18,0790.32%
—South East29,5740.32%19,3630.22%
—Yorkshire and the Humber25,4740.46%21,3400.40%
—East of England15,6390.25%10,3670.18%
—East Midlands13,3600.27%9,7460.21%
—North East10,4060.39%5,8500.23%
—South West10,3020.18%5,6920.11%
22,3040.41%9,3660.18%
11,6410.37%9,6150.31%
Northern Ireland1,8170.10%2740.02%
United Kingdom355,9650.53%240,2400.38%

Population

The 2021 United Kingdom census recorded a population of 355,977 or 0.5% of the population in the United Kingdom. When broken down by country, England recorded 320,215 (0.6%), Wales recorded 11,641 (0.4%)[1] and Northern Ireland recorded 1,817 (0.1%).[3] The equivalent census was recorded a year later in Scotland with a population of 11,641, or 0.4% of the population.[2] The ten local authorities with the largest proportion of British Arabs were largely concentrated in Greater London: Westminster (7.56%), Brent (5.27%), Kensington and Chelsea (4.45%), Ealing (4.39%), Hammersmith and Fulham (3.02%), Manchester (2.72%), Harrow (2.39%), Kingston upon Thames (2.13%), Camden (2.10%) and Barnet (1.90%). In Wales, the highest proportion was in Cardiff at 1.83%; in Scotland, the highest concentration was in Glasgow at 1.40%; and in Northern Ireland, the highest concentration was in Belfast at 0.29%.[17]

Including both write-in and tick-box responses, 230,556 Arabs were recorded in the 2011 Census in England, 9,989 in Wales,[18] and 9,366 in Scotland.[19] In NABA's own report on the 2011 Census, it adds up answers from the write-in responses that it classifies as Arab, namely "Arab", "African Arab", "White and Arab", "Moroccan", "Algerian", “Egyptian”, "North African", "Other Middle East", or "White and North African", arguing that this gives a total of 366,769 Arabs in England and Wales but noting that there may be double-counting of individuals in this total, since it is uncertain how many of these individual write-in responses are also included in the general "Arab" category.[20]

Most British Arabs live in the Greater London area, and many are either businesspeople, recent immigrants or students. There are also sizable and long-established Yemeni Arab communities living in both Cardiff and the South Shields area near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Top 15 Areas (2021/22 Census)[21] [22]
Local authority Population Percentage
19,196 1.7%
17,924 5.3%
16,105 4.4%
15,439 7.6%
15,028 2.7%
8,956 1.6%
8,671 1.4%
8,312 1.7%
7,383 1.9%
6,624 1.8%
6,384 4.5%
6,239 2.4%
5,980 0.7%
5,534 3.0%
5,461 1.9%

Religion

ReligionEngland and Wales
2011[23] 2021[24]
Number%Number%
Islam178,19577.27%277,73783.70%
No religion11,9395.18%15,9634.81%
Christianity21,9889.54%13,6714.12%
Judaism5710.25%4250.13%
Buddhism4020.17%1290.04%
Hinduism1,0600.46%1030.03%
Sikhism5090.22%820.02%
Other religions8590.37%1,4190.43%
Not Stated15,0776.54%22,3146.72%
Total230,600100%331,843100%

Community

A diverse community, British Arabs are represented in the business and media fields, among other areas. Miladi's 2006 survey of 146 community members during the summer of 2001 reported Al-Jazeera as being the respondents' preferred news outlet. Reasons supplied for the selection included the quality of the station's programs and transmission, its discussion of current issues in the Arab world, and the possibility of giving voice to the community's concerns and positions on various matters.[25]

Additionally, 2010 was a breakthrough year in terms of political participation. Several British Arabs ran for and/or were appointed to office as community representatives.[26] [27]

Notable British Arabs

Chairman of The Portland Trust and Bridges Ventures; his parents were originally from Aleppo, Syria.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ethnic group, England and Wales: Census 2021. Office for National Statistics. 29 November 2022.
  2. Web site: Scotland's Census 2022 - Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion - Chart data . . 21 May 2024 . Scotland's Census . . 21 May 2024 . Alternative URL 'Search data by location' > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Ethnic Group'
  3. Web site: MS-B01: Ethnic group. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 22 September 2022. 7 January 2023.
  4. https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=ETHNIC_GROUP_INTERMEDIATE&v=RELIGION_BELONG_TO_AGG19 . DT-0036 - Ethnic group by religion . 2021 . Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency . 30 June 2023.
  5. Web site: RM031 Ethnic group by religion . Office for National Statistics . 28 March 2023.
  6. Web site: BBC . Arabic London . 2022-06-13 . www.bbc.co.uk . en-gb.
  7. Web site: The National Association of British Arabs. The National Association of British Arabs. 7 June 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20080209050137/http://www.naba.org.uk/. 9 February 2008. dead.
  8. Nagel. Caroline. 2001. Hidden minorities and the politics of 'race': The case of British Arab activists in London. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 27. 3. 381–400. 10.1080/136918301200266130. 145331530 .
  9. News: Kilroy was here... BBC suspends daytime host. https://web.archive.org/web/20090616124127/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/kilroy-was-here-bbc-suspends-daytime-host-572596.html. dead. June 16, 2009. Akbar. Arifa. 10 January 2004. The Independent. 7 June 2009 . London.
  10. Web site: Population size: 7.9% from a minority ethnic group . 13 February 2003 . Office for National Statistics . 7 June 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090527101447/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=273 . 27 May 2009.
  11. Web site: Jalili. I.K.. Study for consideration of inclusion of 'Arab' as an ethnic group on ethnicity profile forms. National Association of British Arabs. 30 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132023/http://www.naba.org.uk/Content/HOME/HDoc/EthnicProfilStudy-0503.pdf. 2 April 2015.
  12. News: 2011 Census Questions Published . BBC News . 21 October 2009 . 27 April 2010.
  13. Web site: Arab Population in the UK - Study for consideration of inclusion of 'Arab' as an ethnic group on future census returns. 30 December 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20130109121252/http://www.naba.org.uk/CONTENT/TheAssociation/Reports/arabPopUK_04.htm . 9 January 2013. dead.
  14. Web site: BBC - Religions - Islam: History of Islam in the UK . 2022-06-13 . www.bbc.co.uk . en-GB.
  15. Web site: Change Institute . April 2009 . The Iraqi Muslim Community in England: Understanding Muslim Ethnic Communities . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110923141354/http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1210510.pdf . 23 September 2011 . 3 July 2010 . Communities and Local Government . 22 . London.
  16. Web site: 2022-03-30 . UK employed 'double standards' over treatment of Ukrainian, Syrian refugees . 2023-03-12 . Arab News . en.
  17. Web site: Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics . 2023-01-03 . www.ons.gov.uk.
  18. Web site: 30 January 2013 . Table CT0010EW 2011 Census: Ethnic group (write-in responses), local authorities in England and Wales . 8 March 2020 . Office for National Statistics.
  19. Web site: Ethnic group (detailed): All people . 8 March 2020 . National Records of Scotland . 16 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210416132945/https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/censusresults/release2a/rel2A_Ethnicity_detailed_Scotland.pdf . dead .
  20. Web site: REPORT ON THE 2011 CENSUS – MAY 2013 – Arabs and Arab League Population in the UK . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140529130456/http://naba.org.uk/library/reports/census_2011.html . May 29, 2014 . 25 April 2014 . National Association of British Arabs.
  21. Web site: TS021 - Ethnic group . Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics . 30 March 2023.
  22. Web site: Scotland's Census 2022 - Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion - Chart data . . 21 May 2024 . Scotland's Census . . 21 May 2024 . Alternative URL 'Search data by location' > 'Local Authority (CA2019)' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Ethnic Group'
  23. Web site: DC2201EW - Ethnic group and religion . Spreadsheet . ONS . 15 September 2015 . 14 January 2016. Size: 21Kb.
  24. Web site: Ethnic group by religion - Office for National Statistics . 2023-04-02 . www.ons.gov.uk.
  25. Miladi. Noureddine. Satellite TV News and the Arab Diaspora in Britain: Comparing Al-Jazeera, the BBC and CNN. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. August 2006. 32. 6. 947–960. 10.1080/13691830600761552. 192658321 .
  26. News: Tarbush. Susannah. Arab engagement in the British general and local elections. 30 November 2012. Al-Hayat. 26 April 2010.
  27. News: Tarbush. Susannah. Mixed results in the British general and local elections for candidates of Middle Eastern origin. 30 November 2012. Al-Hayat. 17 June 2010.
  28. Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/jim-al-khalili, Profile, University of Surrey.
  29. Through the Glass Ceiling. Architectural Digest. Nonie Niesewand. March 2015. 22 December 2018.

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