British Libyans Explained

Group:	British Libyans
Population:	about 16,000
Langs:	Arabic (Libyan Arabic), British English
Popplace:	Greater Manchester, London, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bradford, Leicester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Edinburgh, York, Huddersfield and Preston
Rels:	Sunni Islam and Christianity

British Libyans are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom that are of Libyan ancestry. British-Libyans may also include children born in the United Kingdom to a British (or of any other origin) parent and a Libyan parent.

Demographics

The 2011 UK Census recorded 14,284 Libyan-born residents in England, 762 in Wales,^[1] 1,327 in Scotland^[2] and 79 in Northern Ireland.^[3] Manchester is home to the largest Libyan population in the UK, with estimates going between 5,000 and 10,000 people of Libyan descent.^{[4] [5]}

Notable British-Libyans or Libyans residing in the United Kingdom

• Ali Omar Ermes: writer and artist whose art has been showcased across The British Museum^[6] and Tate Britain.^[7]
• Asia Alfasi: artist and manga-influenced comic writer. She is the first female to participant and win on Hi8us Midlands Stripsearch competition and is a recipient of an award from the International Manga and Anime Festival (IMAF).^[8]

• Hisham Matar: writer and novelist. He is a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize (2017) and PEN America Jean Stein Book Award.^{[9] [10]}
• Mohammed El Senussi: son of Crown Prince Hasan as-Senussi of Libya.
• Tarek Ben Halim: former investment banker and founder of Alfanar; an Arab venture philanthropy organisation for development in the Arab region.^{[11] [12]}

Associations or Community Centres

• Libyan Youth Association, Manchester

Community Arabic schools  

• London Libyan School
• Leeds Libyan School
• Manchester Libyan School
• Leicester Libyan School
• Cardiff Libyan School
• Glasgow Libyan School
• Newcastle Libyan School

Media

• Hiwar Mushtark Show: Arabic برنامح حوار مشترك : an audience-panel debate show where British-Libyans and Libyans in the UK come and discuss issues of their community in UK and issues of Libya. The program ran across a number of seasons.  

See also

• British Arabs
• The Council for Arab-British Understanding

References

1. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-qs203ew.xls "2011 Census: QS203EW Country of birth (detailed), local authorities in England and Wales"
2. http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/censusresults/release2a/rel2a_COB_detailed_Scotland.pdf "Country of birth (detailed)"
3. http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census 2011_Excel/2011/QS206NI.xls "Country of Birth – Full Detail: QS206NI"
4. News: Smith . Rory . Yeginsu . Ceylan . 2017-05-25 . For Manchester, as for Its Libyans, a Test of Faith . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-02-06 . 0362-4331.
5. Web site: Manchester Libyans 'caught between cultures'. Arab News. 26 March 2023.
6. The British Museum Collection online:Harf al-kaf (Brushwork in Maghribi)
7. Tate East-West: Objects Between Cultures :Ali Omar Ermes, Shadda 1980
8. BBC, Birmingham, features,'Manga champ', 24 September 2014
9. The 2017 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Biography, 'The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between, by Hisham Matar'
10. 2017 PEN/JEAN STEIN BOOK AWARD Winner, Matar for The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between, March 27, 2017
11. Alfanar, Our History: Tarek Ben Halim
12. The National UAE, 'Tarek Mostafa Ben Halim: talented financier who cared deeply for Middle East', January 16, 2010