Brazilians in the United Kingdom ( pt, Brasileiros no Reino Unido) including

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

ian-born immigrants to the UK and their British-born descendants form the single largest Latin American group in the country.

History

Early settlement

Brazilians came to the UK from the 1980s onwards to study, but once they arrived some discovered that the major cities (in particular

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

's) ethnic and cultural diversity offered more professional opportunities. In part, this immigration of Brazilians to the UK is a consequence of the economic possibility of travel.

Contemporary history

The Brazilian community of the UK was brought into the global spotlight in 2005 as a result of the death of Jean Charles de Menezes. Menezes was a Brazilian national living and working in

Tulse Hill Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London that sits on Brockwell Park. It is approximately five miles from Charing Cross and is bordered by Brixton, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Streatham and West Norwood. History The a ...

, south London who on the morning of 22 July 2005 was misidentified as Hamdi Adus Isaac—one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts. This misidentification ultimately lead to a number of non-uniformed Metropolitan Police officers following Menezes into

Stockwell tube station Stockwell is a London Underground station in Stockwell in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is located on the Northern line between Oval and Clapham North stations, and on the Victoria line between Brixton and Vauxhall stations. It is in ...

and onto a train, where he was shot in the head seven times. The " shoot to kill" policy had been put in place after the

7 July 2005 London bombings The 7 July 2005 London bombings, often referred to as 7/7, were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamic terrorists in London that targeted commuters travelling on the city's public transport system during the mo ...

. The inquest that resulted was followed worldwide including by Menezes's family in Gonzaga, Minas Gerais, who set up the "Justice4Jean" campaign.

Demographics

Brazilians granted British citizenship 1997-2008

Population

The 1991 Census recorded 9,301 Brazilian born people in the UK, and the 2001 Census recorded 15,215. In 2004, the Brazilian Consulate in London had 13,000 Brazilians registered as living in the UK.

Office for National Statistics The Office for National Statistics (ONS; cy, Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the UK Parliament. Overview The ONS is responsible for t ...

estimates suggest that there were 60,000 Brazilian-born people resident in the UK in 2009. The 2011 Census recorded 50,117 Brazilian-born residents in England, 453 in Wales, 1,194 in Scotland and 384 in Northern Ireland. The ONS estimates that in 2018, 87,000 people born in Brazil were living in the UK. Several older guesstimates of the Brazilian population in the UK in the mid-2000s put the number at around 200,000. The discrepancy between official and unofficial population estimates has also been observed in studies of Brazilians in the United States. It has been suggested that the discrepancy is due to Brazilians overstaying their visas, or only seeing their stays as temporary, and therefore not participating in surveys or censuses. The Brazilian consulate in London estimated that in 2020, there were 220,000 Brazilians in the UK.

Spread and distribution

The majority of Brazilians in the UK reside in and around

. The 2001 Census showed that 8,000 people born in Brazil were residing in the capital, however in the same year other estimates suggested that were that between 15,000 and 50,000 Brazilians in London. In 2005, the BBC stated that the number of Londoners of Brazilian origin was approximately 60,000. Community groups estimated in 2007 that between 130,000 and 160,000 Brazilians were likely to be living in the London area. Within London, some 30,000 Brazilians were thought to reside in the

Borough of Brent The London Borough of Brent () is a London boroughs, London borough in north-west London. It borders the boroughs of London Borough of Harrow, Harrow to the north-west, London Borough of Barnet, Barnet to the north-east, London Borough of Camden ...

. Stockwell, south London is also home to a sizeable Brazilian community that lives alongside the UK's single largest Portuguese community in ' Little Portugal'. Bayswater in the City of Westminster has long been referred to as 'Brazilwater', indicating their heavy presence in the area. Besides the Brazilian community in London, there are numerous other locations in England with Brazilian populations. It is estimated that some 20,000 Brazilians reside in the Midlands (the majority in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

), while some 15,000 Brazilians are thought to live in the county of

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

in East Anglia (most of these in King's Lynn and

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

). The coastal town of Brighton was home to an estimated 10,000 Brazilians in 2005. 10,000 individuals of Brazilian origin also live in the

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...

Liverpool Urban Area The Liverpool Built-up Area (previously Liverpool Urban Area in 2001 and prior) is a term used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to denote the urban area around Liverpool in England, to the east of the River Mersey. The contiguous bu ...

Religion

Brazil is the world's largest

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

nation, 50% adhere to the faith while 29% of Brazilians follow

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

. The largest Brazilian church in the UK is

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG; pt, Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, IURD) is an evangelical charismatic Christian denomination with its headquarters at the Temple of Solomon in São Paulo, Brazil. The church was founded in ...

has temples in London and

. This church has been embroiled in scandals and accusations for over a decade, also in 2000 a Brazilian Christian

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

sect bought London radio station Liberty Radio (previously owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed). This purchase was surrounded by controversy largely due to the stations large established audience that could be influenced by the alleged corrupt church, which tells its followers that "diseases are caused by demons and prayer can rid them of debt". There are some 30 Brazilian evangelical churches in London. Further, many other denominations has a strong representation of Brazilians' communities in the UK including some special meetings in Portuguese language in the IPDA Igreja Pentecostal Deus e Amor- Pentecostal Church God is Love,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

, Jehova's Witnesses, Kardecists and others. There is a Brazilian Chaplaincy in East London, set up by the Catholic Church and run by Brazilian priests, who conduct mass in Portuguese to hundreds of Brazilians at weekends.

Culture and community

Business and economics

According to analysis by the

Institute for Public Policy Research The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is a progressive think tank based in London. It was founded in 1988 and is an independent registered charity. IPPR has offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester, and Edinburgh. Funding comes from ...

based on

Labour Force Survey Labour Force Surveys are statistical surveys conducted in a number of countries designed to capture data about the labour market. All European Union member states are required to conduct a Labour Force Survey annually. Labour Force Surveys are als ...

data for 2000 to 2004, 57.4 per cent of Brazilian-born immigrants arriving in the UK in 1990 or after were employed (as opposed to studying, unemployed or inactive), with 80.7 per cent arriving before 1990 employed. Despite being relatively well educated, the majority of Brazilian immigrants to the UK have taken up professions that differ greatly from their previous careers in Brazil. The majority of Brazilian-born migrants to the UK choose jobs that are for the most part unskilled and low-paid; the reasons behind this include restrictions imposed by their immigration status and lack or limited knowledge of the English language. This has also been witnessed in the Brazilian diaspora in United States. A study conducted by

Queen Mary, University of London , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

revealed the most common jobs taken up by Brazilian immigrants in London. 32 per cent of individuals surveyed were involved in the

cleaning industry Cleaning is the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment. Cleaning is often performed for aesthetic, hygienic, functional, environmental, or safety purposes ...

, 26 per cent in

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

work and

catering Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio. History of catering The earliest account of major services be ...

, 13 per cent in other 'services'. 10 per cent worked as couriers, 9 per cent in the construction industry, 3 per cent as

au pair An au pair (; plural: au pairs) is a helper from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a mon ...

s or baby sitters. 6 per cent of those surveyed choose not to answer, while 1 per cent told of

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...

. Work and employment is an extremely important aspect for Brazilians in the UK, especially first-generation immigrants – many of whom came to the UK for the sole reason of seeking employment. In the same study, 25 per cent of respondents said they came to the UK to work and/or study, while 24.3 per cent claimed to have come for work and to save money either to be able to permanently settle in the UK or to send to family back in Brazil. A large number of Brazilian-owned businesses have sprung up in the UK over recent decades. They include personal care, counselling, solicitors and lawyers that provide services in Portuguese, baby sitting, private cleaning, removals and transportation, travel agencies, private functions, money transfer, accommodation, as well as shops selling Brazilian clothing, food and drink, alongside numerous cafes and restaurants. Made in Brasil, London

Media

Television

=Rede Record

= The Brazilian television channel

Rede Record RecordTV (), formerly known as Rede Record, is a Brazilian free-to-air television network. It is currently the second largest commercial TV station in Brazil, and the 28th largest in the 2012 world ranking. In 2010, it was elected by the adverti ...

can be found on

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

channel 801, and Record Radio can be found on 0206.

=''Creature Comforts''

= The 1989 animated short films produced by the

Aardman Animations Aardman Animations Limited (also known as Aardman Studios, simply Aardman or Aardman Animation and stylised as AARDMAN as of 2022) is a British animation studio based in Bristol, England. It is known for films made using stop-motion and clay ani ...

gives a humorous take on the voices of the British public spoken by animals. One of these short films feature a Brazilian puma speaking with a Brazilian accent about the advantages of living in the UK as compared to living in Brazil.

=Canal Londres

= Canal Londres.tv is an internet TV channel with news reports, interviews and advertisement directed mainly towards the Brazilians living in London.

Community newspapers and magazines

There are also many newspapers throughout the UK that cater specifically for the Brazilian British community. ''br@sil.net'' is a physical and online magazine that is concerned with topics from Brazil as well as covering information about the Brazilian British community.
Notícias em Português
' is another UK-based fortnightly newspaper covering Brazilian and Portuguese-speaking community. ''Jungle Drums'' is a monthly magazine with content in Portuguese and English aimed primarily at the younger generations of the Brazilian British community. There are articles on Brazilian popular culture, society and politics, plus comparisons between life in the UK and Brazil. ''Leros'' and ''Revista Real'' are the names of two other monthly magazines read by the Brazilian British population, while ''Oi Londres'' is aimed specifically at Brazilians in the capital who are seeking information on immigration, employment opportunities and general news pieces. ''BrasUkas'', ''To Em Londres'', and ''VerdeAmarelas'' are Brazilians portals for people looking for jobs and opportunities in London as well as providing information for people who wish to move to or study in London. They also offer free classifieds sections that allow the Portuguese-speaking community to post advertisements for their businesses, job opportunities and property for sale. An investigation conducted by the

International Organization for Migration The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations agency that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. The IOM w ...

in 2005 found that in terms of newspaper readership, 67% of Brazilian British respondents stated that they prefer to read UK newspapers. Magazine readership differed completely, where 51% of respondents said they favoured Brazilian publications in the UK over general UK publications and even Brazilian publications from Brazil.

Brazilian associations

=ABEP-UK—Association of Brazilian Postgraduate Students and Researchers in the United Kingdom

= The Brazilian Association of Postgraduate Students and Researchers in the United Kingdom is a civil, nonprofit association based in London that brings together its members (Brazilian postgraduate students and researchers residing in the United Kingdom). ABEP-UK promotes the integration of its members and organises conferences and meetings within the academic community.

=Anglo-Brazilian Society

= The Anglo-Brazilian Society is a UK registered charity with a focus on promoting the Brazilian culture by means of exhibitions and cultural demonstrations, as well as supporting charitable activities related to Brazil.

Music and dance

The vibrant emerging Brazilian community in the capital has in a short time been influential in shaping the face of London and its residents. The culture and

music of Brazil The music of Brazil encompasses various regional musical styles influenced by European, American, African and Amerindian forms. Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as forró, repente, coco de roda, axé, sertanejo, ...

has had a significant impact in the UK, most evidently as previously stated in London. Numerous bars, clubs and other late nite venues are across the city, including the Guanabara Bar in Holborn, London. Many Brazilian acts perform in the Carnaval del Pueblo, Europe's largest celebration of Latin American culture, held in

Burgess Park Burgess Park is a public park situated in Camberwell the London Borough of Southwark, and is close to Walworth to the north, Bermondsey to the east and Peckham to the south. At , it is one of the largest parks in South London. Unlike most ot ...

, London. There is also an annual festival celebrating Brazilian culture in the Golborne Road area that was most recently held in 2009. Brazilians have also participated in the Notting Hill Carnival and the Sadler's Wells Brazilian Carnival. A major three month event called 'Festival Brazil' is planned to take place between June and September 2010. Despite this, the single largest celebration of Brazilian culture in the UK is, in fact, held in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, Brazilica Festival has been held annually since 2008 when the city was European Capital of Culture and regularly attracts over 50,000 people. Samba, the world-renowned Brazilian dancing style alongside the other Latin American dances,

Salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: ...

have spread in popularity across the world. Dance schools teaching the art form include 'Paraiso School of Samba', and the 'London School of Samba'. The 2001 film The Girl from Rio starring

Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...

makes reference to a samba school in London, in which a banker, while fed up with his day job, gives samba lessons at night. Besides the presence of traditional Brazilian music in the UK, numerous British-born Brazilians have made a significant impact on the British music scene.

Sport

The Brazilian community in the UK has established many sporting groups including a number of Football,

Futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...

and

Footvolley Footvolley ( pt, Futevôlei in Brazil, ''Futevólei'' in Portugal) is a sport which combines aspects of beach volleyball and association football. Footvolley was created by Octavio de Moraes in 1965 in Brazil. Footvolley combines field rules tha ...

teams (the latter two of which are sports that originate in Brazil). This alongside schools for the Brazilian sports of

Jiu-Jitsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdu ...

and

Capoeira Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th cent ...

. There are some Brazilian-organized teams that play in English leagues at amateur-level including the Brazilian Football Club of London. Helvecia, and Kickers are also among some of the teams established by the Brazilian British community who compete in the

FA Futsal League The National Futsal League is a futsal league in England. It is a Community Interest Company owned and controlled by its Member Clubs and administered by an annually elected Board of Directors. The league is played under FIFA rules, began in 200 ...

. The Brazilian sport of

also now has a presence in the UK, and there is an England national team that has competed in places such as Brighton and Margate as well as abroad in France, Spain and Portugal.

is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of dance, sport and martial art. It is 'played' in a circular space called roda and is becoming increasingly popular outside Brazil, there are now several capoeira schools and centres in the UK. ''Brazilian Sports Press'' is the name of a fortnightly newspaper covering Brazilian sporting news and events in the UK. Among the most famous Brazilians in the UK are the numerous expatriate footballers that play in England's

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

teams.

's first team includes three Brazilians, . The same number of Brazilians are on the first team of Manchester United. Two Brazilians are in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

's squad, while one Brazilian plays for Arsenal. Among the notable footballers to have played or that are currently playing for Premier League teams are Juninho, Júlio Baptista,

Gilberto Silva Gilberto Aparecido da Silva (; born 7 October 1976) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder most notably for English Premier League club Arsenal, Super League club Panathinaikos F.C., Clube Atlé ...

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

Robinho Robson de Souza ( or , born 25 January 1984), known as Robinho (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. In 1999, at 15 years of age, Robinho was picked by Brazil legend Pelé as his heir apparent and, in 2002 ...

, among others. The former player and current football manager Leonardo has also worked as a pundit in BBC's Match of the Day programmes during the 2006 World Cup.

Notable people

The list below includes

British citizen British nationality law prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a national of the United Kingdom. The six different classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the ...

s of Brazilian descent, whether UK born or not. *

Layla Anna-Lee "Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, '' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movements were compo ...

- television presenter, born in London to an English father and a Brazilian mother *

Taio Cruz Jacob Taio Cruz (; born Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere, 23 April 1980), better known professionally as Taio Cruz (stylized TΛIO CRUZ), is an English singer, songwriter and record producer from London, England, currently based in Los Angeles. In 200 ...

- singer, born in London to a

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

n father and a Brazilian mother *

Josefina de Vasconcellos Josefina Alys Hermes de Vasconcellos (26 October 1904 – 20 July 2005) was an English sculptor who worked in bronze, stone, wood, lead and perspex. She was at one time the world's oldest living sculptor. She lived in Cumbria much of her wor ...

- sculptor, born in Surrey to an English mother and a Brazilian father *

Alfred Enoch Alfred Lewis Enoch (born 2 December 1988) is an English actor, best known for playing Dean Thomas in the ''Harry Potter'' film series and Wes Gibbins in the ABC legal thriller television series ''How to Get Away with Murder''. Early life and ...

- actor, born in London to an English father and a Brazilian mother *

Roger Gracie Roger Gracie (born Roger Gracie Gomes; 26 September, 1981) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist and former professional Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitor. The son of coral belt Mauricio Gomes and grandson of BJJ founder Carlos Graci ...

- practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu * Kaya Scodelario - actress, born in

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ...

to an English father and a Brazilian mother *

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

- singer, born in London to a Brazilian father and a Nigerian mother * Thalissa Teixeira - actress, born in

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

to an English mother and a Brazilian father

References

{{AmericansinUK

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Brazilian Immigration to the United Kingdom by country of origin