Fijians in the United Kingdom include

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

an-born immigrants to the United Kingdom as well as their British-born descendants. As of 2011, there were 6,285 Fijian-born residents in the UK.

History and settlement

Fiji and the United Kingdom have close ties, with Fiji being a member of the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

, although its membership was suspended in September 2009. For several generations, Fijians have served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. They fought for the British against the Japanese in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and later in

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

and

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. Fijians have been dubbed the "unsung heroes" of the British army, and, according to Major Charles Heyman, "There is a long military tradition in Fiji and many serve today because their fathers and grandfathers did" and "the Fijians have been an essential part of the British empire and what they are doing, basically, is filling the vacant slots in the British Army because we cannot recruit enough from the UK itself". As of 2009, approximately 2,000 Fijians are working for the British armed forces (as a result from recruiting since 1998).

Demographics and population

The

2001 UK Census A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194. The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...

recorded 3,464 Fijian-born people residing in the United Kingdom.Place of birth data collated by OECD based on 2001 UK Census
The 2011 census recorded 5,759 people born in Fiji living in England, 88 in Wales, 325 in Scotland and 113 in Northern Ireland. The largest numbers of people of Fijian origin in the UK can be found in London as well as towns within the proximity of British Army infantry bases such as Catterick and

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

. Fiji is a diverse nation with a mix of many ethnicities, those of indigenous Austronesian origin form the majority of the island's population, with minorities of Indians amongst other groups.Provisional results – 2007 Population and Housing Census – Fiji Government Online
Many famous British people of Fijian descent are Indo-Fijians, including

Nifa Hindes Nifa and Nishan Hindes (born 7 August 1979 in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom) are British identical twin models, born to an English father and an Indian-Fijian mother. They have been featured on the cover of ''Asian Women'' magazine, in '' To ...

Nishan Hindes Nifa and Nishan Hindes (born 7 August 1979 in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom) are British identical twin models, born to an English father and an Indian-Fijian mother. They have been featured on the cover of '' Asian Women'' magazine, in '' T ...

Satya Nandan Satya N. Nandan, CF, CBE (July 10, 1936 – February 25, 2020), was a diplomat and lawyer from Fiji specializing in ocean affairs, was Chairman of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, where he served a two-year term commencing 1 ...

Ramon Tikaram Ramon Tikaram is a British stage and screen actor of Indo-Fijian and Southeast Asian descent. He is known for playing such roles as Ferdy in the BBC television series ''This Life'' and Qadim Shah in the BBC One soap opera '' EastEnders''. Earl ...

Tanita Tikaram Tanita Tikaram (born 12 August 1969) is a British pop/folk singer-songwriter. She achieved chart success with the singles " Twist in My Sobriety" and " Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, ''Ancient Heart''. Background Tikaram was born i ...

and Simita Kumar

Culture and community

Many Fijians attend community church services held at various barracks around the country on the first Sunday of every month.London Lives: The Fijian soldier
/ref> The Fijian community in the UK is fairly tight-knit and they enjoy large banquets and meals together, where traditional Fijian dishes are cooked in ''earth ovens'', Lovo is a popular with the community whilst other foods such as chicken, lamb, fish with coconut milk alongside yam and sweet potatoes are also popular. There are currently no Fijian shops or restaurants in the capital, although many African owned establishments prove popular with the Fijian community. Food is a major part of Fijian culture, and celebrations take place across the country every year on a day called ''Fiji'' day which commemorates the country's independence. Dancing and games of rugby are also a common sight at these celebrations. Fijians and other Pacific Islanders also tend to choose similar night clubs and venues especially in London.

Notable individuals

* Nifa and Nishan Hindes *

*Simita Kumar

References

External links