Ivorians in the United Kingdom
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Ivoirians in the United Kingdom or Ivorian British (french: Ivoiriens au Royaume-Uni) are one of the country's smallest African immigrant groups, consisting of no more than 10,000 individuals. The group includes people born in
Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
who have migrated to the
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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, as well as their British-born descendants.


History and settlement

Ivoirians have been migrating to the UK since the late 20th century, albeit in smaller numbers than those who chose to start a new life in countries such as
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Côte d'Ivoire was under French rule between 1842 and 1960 and formed part of
French West Africa French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...
. Prior to 1995, Ivoirians did not require a visa to visit the UK, and this is when significant migration to the UK started. The majority of early Ivoirian immigrants were students. The most recent wave of Ivoirian immigrants are much more heterogeneous. Many have fled political and economic instability in Côte d'Ivoire, following the death of Ivoirian president
Félix Houphouët-Boigny Félix Houphouët-Boigny (; 18 October 1905 – 7 December 1993), affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux ("The Old One"), was the first president of Ivory Coast, serving from 1960 until his death in 1993. A tribal chief, he wo ...
in late 1993. The power struggle that followed forced many natives to flee before bloodshed similar to that seen in neighbouring
Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
. After the Badie régime was overthrown in 1999, attempts to stabilise a government were in vain and the fear of violence became reality during the Ivorian Civil War (2002–2007). Ivoirians migrating to the UK at this time were primarily asylum seekers and victims of war. Besides students and asylum seekers in the UK, there are many irregular Ivoirian migrants in the country, many of whom overstayed their visas. The IOM has suggested that this is down to their determination to succeed in the UK and not let themselves or their families down. Besides the continuing and increasing number of individuals leaving Côte d'Ivoire for a new life in the UK, there are also significant numbers of secondary migrants moving to the UK from France. France is seen as the hub of the Ivoirian diaspora however many older generations are in fact leaving the country for other nations such as the UK in hope of better prospects for their children and grandchildren. Many young men who have failed to settle and make a life for themselves in France have also left for the UK to "try again".


Demographics


Population

According to 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 ...
, a total of 2,794 people born in Côte d'Ivoire were residing in the UK in April 2001. This figure ranks 28th amongst African-born immigrant groups. The UK is home to the fourth largest overseas Ivoirian diaspora of any
OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...
country, behind the communities in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. There has been some secondary migration of Ivoirians to the UK from other European countries, including France. It is difficult to determine exactly how many Ivoirians are living in the UK because many avoid any form of official registration and are reluctant to report themselves to the Ivoirian embassy in London. Many Ivoirians who have immigrated to the UK have claimed
political asylum The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another enti ...
, and in the period between 1997 and 2007, 910 people were granted asylum. In 2008, community leaders suggested that the population stood at between 5,000 and 9,000, although 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 was ...
states that "it is very difficult to verify these figures". The first wave of Ivoirian migrants to the UK in the early 1990s were almost all male, however there has been a significant increase in the number of female migrants in recent years. In terms of age range, a large percentage of the Ivoirian population in the UK are in between the ages of 35 and 45 having come in search for a new life in their twenties. By far the most common and preferred language amongst the community is French and within first generation immigrants, fluency in the
English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
is only really evident in students and scholars.


Population distribution

The majority of Ivoirians (between 3,000 and 4,500) reside in the British capital,
London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. London is the preferred destination for Ivoirian migrants due to its cosmopolitan nature, the belief that it offers greater and better employment prospects, as well as its long-established Ivoirian and Black African communities. Despite this, there is evidence that numerous Ivoirians who settled in London have since moved on to other cities. An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Ivoirians reside in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, 400 to 1,000 in
Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
and 100 to 200 in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. Outside of these large cities, many Ivoirian asylum seekers have been dispersed across the country by the British government, as part of a policy designed to lessen the financial burden on local councils in London and the south east.


Religion

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
are the two main religions in Côte d'Ivoire, however, there are also many indigenous African religions that Ivoirian people follow. Most Ivoirian Muslims in the UK belong to the Mandinka and Mandé ethnic groups from the north and north west of Côte d'Ivoire. Amongst the more commonly visited mosques amongst the community are Brixton Mosque, Lewisham Mosque, Kent Islamic Centre and the Old Kent Road Nigerian Mosque - all of these are located in and around Greater London which reflects the spread of Ivoirians in the UK themselves. Despite Islam being a more followed religion in Côte d'Ivoire, the IOM has found evidence that within the UK's Ivoirian community, there are, in fact, larger followers of Christianity - the majority adhering to the
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
and
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
faiths. There are many Ivoirian congregations and churches in London and across the UK and where Ivoirian communities aren't so prevalent, many decide to worship alongside other people from other African nations.


Notable individuals


See also

*
Black British Black British people are a multi-ethnic group of British citizens of either African or Afro-Caribbean descent.Gadsby, Meredith (2006), ''Sucking Salt: Caribbean Women Writers, Migration, and Survival'', University of Missouri Press, pp. 76–7 ...
*
Demographics of Côte d'Ivoire This article is about the demographic features of the population of Ivory Coast, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Pop ...
* Ivorian Americans * Ivorian Canadians * Ivorians in Ireland * Ivorians in France * Ivorians in Italy * Ivorians in Switzerland * Ivorians in Germany * Ivorians in Belgium * Ivorians in the Netherlands * Ivorians in Denmark * Ivorians in Norway * Ivorians in Sweden * Ivorian Australians


Notes


References

{{AfricansinUK African diaspora in the United Kingdom Immigration to the United Kingdom by country of origin