Central Asians in the United Kingdom

{{Short description|Central Asians living in the United Kingdom}}

{{See also|British Asians|East Asians in the United Kingdom|Southeast Asians in the United Kingdom}}

{{Infobox ethnic group

|group = Central Asians in the United Kingdom

|image =

|population = Ethnic Central Asians:
3,661 (England and Wales only, 2021){{cite web |title=TS:002 Ethnic group (detailed) |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS022/editions/2021/versions/2/filter-outputs/41d3c99d-976d-4553-858a-af16bc85554b?f=get-data#ethnic_group_288a |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=30 January 2023}}
Other estimates: At least 10,667
Kazakh (5,432), Uzbek (2,864), Kyrgyz (1,132), Turkmen (784), Tajik (455), Other Central Asians (Unknown)
All figures are the 2015 UN population estimates for the United Kingdom

|popplace = London

|langs = West/Central Asian language (all other) – 9,869
(including Kazakh language, Kyrgyz language, Tajik language, Turkmen language, and Uzbek language)

Number of speakers in England & Wales as a main language, of all usual residents aged 3 and over, from the 2021 census.{{cite web |title=TS024 - Main language (detailed) |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts024 |publisher=Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |access-date=28 March 2023}}

|rels = Islam, Non-religious, others

}}

Central Asians in the United Kingdom are Central Asians living in the United Kingdom. They have been present in the country since the 21st century{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} and primarily originate from the countries Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Population history

The UK Government considers the Central Asian sovereign states to be Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.{{cite news |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-engagement-with-central-asia|title=UK engagement with Central Asia |author=David Lidington|authorlink=David Lidington|quote=The Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – were in many respects dealt a difficult hand at independence.|date=23 February 2012|publisher=UK Government}} According to United Nations population estimates conducted in 2015, there are over 10,000 Central Asian people residing in the United Kingdom.{{cite web|format=XLS|url=https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/data/estimates2/data/UN_MigrantStockByOriginAndDestination_2015.xlsx|title=Trends in International Migrant Stock: Migrants by Destination and Origin (United Nations database, POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2015)|publisher=United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs|year=2015|accessdate=2 January 2017}} In 2001, Nooralhaq Nasimi founded the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA) in London, which seeks to specifically help Afghan, as well as Central Asian refugees settle in the UK.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/if-country-safe-would-never-15499479|title='Idiots tell me to leave' – What life is like as an Afghan refugee in London|date=17 December 2018|publisher=Reach plc}}

=2021 Census=

The figures below represent data collected for the 2021 United Kingdom census with the country as a reported birthplace recorded (i.e. does not include British born people of Central Asian origin). The census in Scotland was delayed for a year and took place in 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.crer.org.uk/blog/march-21st-is-census-day-but-scotland-will-have-to-wait|title=March 21st is Census day - but Scotland will have to wait|first=Kirsty|last=McNeill|publisher=Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights|date=18 March 2021|accessdate=26 March 2023}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" ! class="unsortable" \| State/Territory ! {{ENG}} (2021){{Cite web \|title=Country of birth (extended) \|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/09395128-afa5-4645-8de6-6d0458aa806c#get-data \|access-date=12 August 2023 \|website=www.ons.gov.uk\|publisher=Office for National Statistics}} ! {{SCO}} (2022){{cite web \|title=Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals \|url=https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/search-the-census#/location/topics/list?topic=Ethnicity,%20Identity,%20Language%20and%20Religion&categoryId=4 \|publisher=National Records of Scotland\|access-date=24 May 2024}} > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204' ! {{WAL}} (2021) ! Northern Ireland (2021){{cite web \|title=MS-A18: Country of birth - full detail \|url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-ms-a18.xlsx \|access-date=22 September 2023\|website=nisra.gov.uk \|publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency}} ! {{UK}} (2021/22)
style="text-align:left;" \| {{KAZ}} \| 5,604 \| rowspan="4" \| 1,067 \| 128 \| 72 \| rowspan="4" \| –
style="text-align:left;" \| {{UZB}} \| 3,789 \| 47 \| 21
style="text-align:left;" \| {{KGZ}} \| 1,364 \| 37 \| 0
style="text-align:left;" \| Other Central Asia \| 1,557 \| 22 \| –
Total ! 12,314 ! 1,067 ! 234 ! 93 ! 13,708

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

! class="unsortable" | State/Territory

! {{ENG}}
(2021){{Cite web |title=Country of birth (extended) |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/09395128-afa5-4645-8de6-6d0458aa806c#get-data |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=www.ons.gov.uk|publisher=Office for National Statistics}}

! {{SCO}}
(2022){{cite web |title=Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals |url=https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/search-the-census#/location/topics/list?topic=Ethnicity,%20Identity,%20Language%20and%20Religion&categoryId=4 |publisher=National Records of Scotland|access-date=24 May 2024}} > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'

! {{WAL}}
(2021)

! Northern Ireland
(2021){{cite web |title=MS-A18: Country of birth - full detail |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-ms-a18.xlsx |access-date=22 September 2023|website=nisra.gov.uk |publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency}}

! {{UK}}
(2021/22)

style="text-align:left;" | {{KAZ}}

| 5,604

| rowspan="4" | 1,067

| 128

| 72

| rowspan="4" | –

style="text-align:left;" | {{UZB}}

| 3,789

| 47

| 21

style="text-align:left;" | {{KGZ}}

| 1,364

| 37

| 0

style="text-align:left;" | Other Central Asia

| 1,557

| 22

| –

Total

! 12,314

! 1,067

! 234

! 93

! 13,708

Subgroups

=Kazakhs=

The UN has estimated that there are 5,432 Kazakhs living in the United Kingdom, as of 2015. In 2009, it was reported that Kazakh entrepreneurs were achieving high positions in British industry.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/sep/15/guardian-executive-pay-soviet-bloc|title=Kazakhs join British super-rich|author1= Simon Bowers|author2=Tim Webb|date=8 April 2020|work=The Guardian|quote=Young Kazakhs are among former eastern bloc businessmen at top of British industry}} Kazakh politician Dariga Nazarbayeva is a part-time resident in London.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52216011|title=Kazakh family win Unexplained Wealth Order battle over London homes|date=8 April 2020|publisher=BBC}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/03/11/uk-takes-fight-to-kazakhstans-wealthy-elite-with-mcmafia-wealth-order-over-unexplained-billionaires-row-mansion/#1a316f9d7697|title=U.K. Takes Fight To Kazakhstan’s Wealthy Elite Over Unexplained ‘Billionaires’ Row’ Mansion|author=David Dawkins|date=11 March 2020|work=Forbes}} In 2011, Kazakh businessman Mukhtar Ablyazov was granted asylum in the UK, along with his wife and children.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/kazakhstan/8632583/Kazakh-billionaire-granted-UK-asylum.html|title=Kazakh billionaire granted UK asylum|author=Richard Orange|date=12 July 2011|work=The Daily Telegraph}} In 2018, a Kazakh TV-feature reported how ethnic Kazakhs in the UK preserved their culture and language while living as part of the diaspora.{{Cite news|url=https://kazakh-tv.kz/en/view/world_news/page_192184_kazakh-diaspora-in-uk|title=Kazakh Diaspora in UK|date=3 April 2018|publisher=Khabar Agency|quote=Ethnic Kazakhs living in the United Kingdom are working towards preserving the national culture. Members of the Kazakh diaspora in UK want to promote their national traditions and pass them down to a younger generation.}}

Kazakhs have studied at British schools and universities since at least 2006.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161028-what-kazakhstan-really-thought-of-borat|author=Yerlan Askarbekov|title=What Kazakhstan really thought of Borat|date=28 October 2016|publisher=BBC|quote=Maybe the most angry Kazakhs in 2006 were our students in the UK and US. They understood the movie, but their non-Kazakh peers on campus did not.}} In the 2006/2007 school year, private school Haileybury and Imperial Service College had 14 Kazakh students.{{Cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/top-british-school-in-borats-homeland-7087969.html|title=Top British school in Borat's homeland|date=25 January 2007|work=Evening Standard|quote=Haileybury currently has 14 Kazakh pupils.}} In 2020, it was reported that the UK was the most popular destination of Kazakhstan's Bolashak Programme, allowing the majority of its students to reside and study in Britain.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/kazakhs-studying-in-uk-forced-to-reveal-passwords-q3t3v2bht|title=Kazakhs studying in UK forced to reveal passwords|date=3 October 2020|work=The Times}}

=Kyrgyz=

Between 1997 and 2002, Kyrgyz diplomat Roza Otunbayeva resided in London, England, serving as the Central Asian nation's ambassador to the UK.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/public/Research/Russia%20and%20Eurasia/0410pp_kyrgyzstan.pdf|title=Revolution in Kyrgyzstan – Again|date=April 2010|author=Annette Bohr|publisher=Chatham House}} In 2007, the Israeli Government helped support an appeal against the deportation of Kyrgyz nationals from the United Kingdom. The refugees, who were orphaned twin sisters and resided in Birmingham, England, were claiming asylum in the country.{{Cite news|url=https://www.jta.org/2007/02/13/default/kyrgyzstani-refugees-prefer-u-k|title=Kyrgyzstani refugees prefer U.K.|date=13 February 2007|work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency}} Kyrgyz former politician Maxim Bakiyev is a resident in the United Kingdom.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19935269|title=Kyrgyz ex-leader Bakiyev's son held in UK for fraud|date=13 October 2012|publisher=BBC}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/14/kyrgyzstan-president-atambayev-maxim-bakiyev|title=Kyrgyz president attacks UK for 'hosting a guy who robbed us'|author= Maxton Walker|date=14 July 2013|work=The Guardian}} In 2015, the UN estimated there were 1,132 Kyrgyz residents in the UK.

=Tajiks=

In 2013, Tajik child care workers gained temporary residency in the UK, travelling to Falkirk, Scotland for professional training in their field. The sharing of modern child care techniques was administered by Falkirk Council and funded by an EU-backed scheme.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-20257071|title=Falkirk social workers to host Tajikistani counterparts|date=8 November 2012|publisher=BBC|quote=The European Union-backed scheme will see Tajikistani child care workers visit Falkirk Council to witness modern child care techniques first hand.}} By 2015, the UN had estimated a total population of 455 Tajiks in the country.

=Turkmens=

In 2015, the UN estimated that there were 784 Turkmens residing in the United Kingdom.

=Uzbeks=

The second largest national subgroup of Central Asians after Kazakhs, the United Nations estimated a total population of 2,864 Uzbeks living in the United Kingdom in 2015.

References

External links

Category:Asian diaspora in the United Kingdom

Category:Central Asian diaspora