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{{Short description|Group of foreigners in the country}}
{{Infobox Ethnic group
|group = People in the United Kingdom with Romanian ancestry
{{Distinguish|Romani people in the United Kingdom}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
|image = [[Image:Moses_Gaster.jpg|153x153px]] [[Image:SOEatkins.jpg|150x150px]]
| group = Romanians in the United Kingdom
|caption = '''Notable Romanian Britons:'''<br>'''[[Moses Gaster]], [[Vera Atkins]]<br>{{flagicon|Romania}} {{flagicon|UK}}
| image = File:Counties of the UK Romanian.svg
|poptime = '''Est. 50,000'''
| caption = Distribution of Romanian citizens in England, Northern Ireland and Wales by local authority
|popplace = [[London]]
| population = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''Romanian-born residents in the United Kingdom: 557,554 – 0.8% <br/>([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021/22 Census]]){{#tag:ref|Does not include ethnic Romanians born in the United Kingdom or those with Romanian ancestry|group="note"}}'''<br/>{{Flag|England}}: 530,320– 0.9% (2021)<ref name="E&W_CoB22">{{cite web |title=TS012: Country of birth (detailed) |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS012/editions/2021/versions/2/filter-outputs/ba18881b-a88f-432f-89be-af1fee321107#get-data |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=28 March 2023}}</ref><br>{{Flag|Scotland}}: 12,102 – 0.2% (2022)<ref name="CountryBirth_22">{{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}} '2022' > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'</ref><br/>{{Flag|Wales}}: 8,520 – 0.3% (2021)<ref name="E&W_CoB22"/><br/>[[Northern Ireland]]: 6,612 – 0.3% (2021)<ref name="CoB_NI21">{{cite web|url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-ms-a17.xlsx|title=MS-A17: Country of birth - intermediate detail|publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency|date=22 September 2022|accessdate=25 May 2023}}</ref><br/>'''Romanian citizens/passports held:'''<br/> 550,298 (England and Wales only, 2021)<ref>{{cite web |title=TS005: Passports held |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS005/editions/2021/versions/3/filter-outputs/2f83f974-bd79-4947-bcc4-817d8bfe2bfb#get-data |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=28 March 2023}}</ref>
|langs = [[English language|English]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]]
|rels = [[Romanian Orthodox Church]], [[Judaism]]
| popplace = [[London]], [[Birmingham]], [[Northampton]]
| langs = [[British English]] and [[Romanian language|Romanian]]
| rels = [[Romanian Orthodox Church|Romanian Orthodox]], [[Catholic Church in Romania|Roman Catholic]], [[Romanian Greek Catholic Church|Greek Catholic]], [[Religion in Romania#Protestantism|Protestant]], [[Judaism]]
| related = {{hlist|Romanians | [[Romanian Americans]] | [[Romanian Canadians]] | [[Romanian Australians]] | [[Romanians in Italy|Romanian Italians]] | [[Romanians in Germany|Romanian Germans]] | [[Romanians in Spain|Romanian Spanish]] | [[Romanians in France|Romanian French people]]}} {{reflist|group=note}}
}}
}}
{{Romanians}}
'''Romanian migration to the United Kingdom''' refers to the phenomenon of [[Romanian people]] moving to the [[United Kingdom]] as citizens or non-citizen immigrants.
{{Lists of British people}}
'''Romanians in the United Kingdom''' ({{Langx|ro|Românii din Regatul Unit}}) refers to [[Romanians|Romanian]] immigrants in the [[United Kingdom]], both citizens and non-citizens, along with [[United Kingdom|British]] citizens of [[Romanians|Romanian]] ancestry. The number of Romanian-born people resident in the UK has risen from 83,168 at the time of the [[2011 United Kingdom census]] to 557,554 at the time of the [[2021 United Kingdom census]].


Romanians constitute the fourth largest group of immigrants in England and Wales as of 2021, only behind those from [[British Pakistanis|Pakistan]], [[Poles in the United Kingdom|Poland]], and [[British Indians|India]]. The decadal growth of 576% was the highest of any immigrant group and was driven by the relaxation of work restrictions.<ref>{{cite web|title=International migration, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/internationalmigrationenglandandwales/census2021|access-date=2023-06-30|website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> Furthermore, as of late 2022, given the big rise of Romanian immigrants to the United Kingdom, the [[Romanian language]] became the third most spoken language in the UK after English and [[Polish language|Polish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/census-2021-language-romanian-polish-london-harrow-ons-b1043457.html|title=Big rise in Romanian speakers with 7.5% speaking the language in Harrow, ONS reveals Romanian is now the third most common language spoken in UK after English and Polish|work=Evening Standard|author=Miriam Burrell|date=29 November 2022|accessdate=3 September 2023}}</ref>
==History, population and settlement==
The small number of Romanians that first arrived in Britain were primarily Jews fleeing persecution during the [[Second World War]]. In the [[1950s]], ACARDA (''Asociatia Culturala a Romanilor din Anglia'' - The Cultural Association the Romanians in England) was founded by [[Ion Ratiu]] and Horia Georgescu working together with various individuals, notably the of the small Romanian community.
It wasn't until the run up to [[January 2007]] when Romania was admitted into the [[EU]] and afterwards, that immigration grew significantly.<br>
Initial government statistics show that, in the first three months of 2008, about 8,000 citizens of Romanian origin came to the United Kingdom, applied for and been granted worker registration certificates and accession worker cards.
9,305 applications for worker registration certificates were submitted, of which 7,120 were approved. Just under 4,600 were from Romanians. In addition, 1,115 of the new European Union citizens applied for accession worker cards, of which 815 were approved.
In addition to these longer term workers, 2,400 more have taken advantage of the agricultural worker scheme and come in for seasonal work.<ref> http://www.ippr.org.uk/pressreleases/?id=2081</ref>
“A figure of 600,000 has been quoted as those who arrived and registered under the Workers Registration Scheme – but many of those who registered were in the UK already
<ref>[http://londra.mae.ro/upload/docs/12308_IAS_Press_Release.pdf Report on Romanian population numbers in the UK]</ref><ref>[http://www.workpermit.com/news/2007-05-22/uk/romanian-bulgarian-migration-statistics-01.htm Romanian migration statistics]</ref> Most Romanians are widely dispersed throughout the UK with populations in London and all the other major cities. There is even a society for Romanians in Scotland<ref>[http://www.scotro.org.uk/ The Scottish Romainian Society]</ref>


==History, population, and settlement==
==Famous Britons of Romanian descent==
[[File:London Romanians.png|thumb|A map showing the distribution of Romanian passport holders in Greater London in 2021. Over 30% of Romanian citizens in the UK live in London.{{legend|#f9f4ff|0.0%-0.99%}}
{{legend|#dec9ff|1%-2.99%}}
{{legend|#d59fff|3%-5.99%}}
{{legend|#c674ff|6%-9.99%}}
{{legend|#9815ff|10%-14.99%}}
{{legend|#6500b4|15% and greater}}]]
[[File:White Romanian population pyramid 2021.svg|thumb|White Romanian population pyramid in 2021 (in England and Wales)]]
The small number of Romanians that first arrived in Britain were primarily [[Jews]] fleeing persecution during the [[Second World War]].<ref name="bookref1">{{Cite book |last=Cesarani | first=David |title=The Jewish Chronicle and Anglo-Jewry, 1841-1991 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-521-43434-8 |page=74 |chapter=The era of Asher Myers and Israel Davis, 1878–1906 |doi=10.1017/CBO9780511470509}}</ref> The activities of the Romanian exiles started in 1941, through the effort of individuals such as Ambassador [[Viorel Tilea]], Major George Emil Iliescu, and legal counselor Ecaterina Iliescu. They founded the Anglo-Romanian Refugee Committee (ARRC) in 1948. The Free Romanian Orthodox Church was active in parallel to the ARRC between 1950 and 1955, under the leadership of Father Gildau, with a Parish Committee chaired by Mihai Carciog. This later transformed into the 'Romanian Orthodox Women's Association in the UK', which, in turn, became in 1956 the British-Romanian Association - also known under its Romanian name of ACARDA ("Asociația Culturală a Românilor din Anglia") - through the initiative of a representative group of individuals from the small Romanian community, including [[Ion Rațiu]], Horia Georgescu, George Ross, and Leonard Kirschen, Marie-Jeanne Livezeanu, Gladys Wilson, Sanda Cârciog, and Mihai Cârciog.<ref name="bookref">{{Cite book |last=Leustean |first=Laurentiu |title=Orthodoxy and the Cold War: Religion and Political Power in Romania, 1947-65 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |edition=1st|year=2009 |page=245 |isbn=978-1-349-30411-0}}</ref><ref name="bookref2">{{Cite book |last=Mazurkiewicz |first=Anna |editor-first1=Anna |editor-last1=Mazurkiewicz |title=East Central European Migrations During the Cold War: A Handbook |publisher=[[De Gruyter|De Gruyter Oldenbourg]] |year=2019 |isbn=978-3-11-060753-6 |pages=243–285 |doi=10.1515/9783110610635|s2cid=241456445 }}</ref>


Ion Rațiu was the President of the British-Romanian Association between 1965 and 1985,<ref name="cotidianul">{{Cite web |date=15 October 2010 |title=Ion Rațiu |url=https://www.cotidianul.ro/ion-ratiu/ |access-date=15 August 2021 |website=[[Cotidianul]] |language=ro-RO}}</ref> followed by Iolanda Costide between 1985 and 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 July 2014 |title=Fotograme din exil: Iolanda Costide, marți la "Lumea și noi" |trans-title=Photograms from exile: Iolanda Costide, Tuesday on "Lumea și noi" |url=http://tvri.tvr.ro/fotograme-din-exil-iolanda-costide-marti-la-lumea-si-noi_8858.html |access-date=2021-08-15 |website=TVR |language=Romanian}}</ref> Rațiu became honorary president of the organisation in 1985.<ref name="cotidianul" />
*[[Vera Atkins]], Intelligence Officer during World War II

*[[J. J. Benjamin]], Historian
At the time of the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 Census]], 7,631 Romanian-born people were residing in the UK.<ref name="OECD">{{Cite web |title=Country of birth database |url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/18/23/34792376.xls |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050511105416/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/18/23/34792376.xls |archive-date=11 May 2005 |archive-format=XLS |access-date=15 August 2021 |publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] |format=XLS}}</ref> In the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]], the Romanian-born population grew to 83,168 people throughout the UK, with 79,687 in England and Wales,<ref name="2011CensusEngWal">{{2011CensusEngWalCoB|accessdate=17 May 2017}}</ref> 2,387 in Scotland,<ref name="2011CensusScot">{{2011CensusScotlandCoB|accessdate=17 May 2017}}</ref> and 1,094 in Northern Ireland.<ref name="2011CensusNI">{{2011CensusNICoB|accessdate=16 June 2016}}</ref> The [[Office for National Statistics]] (ONS) estimated that, in 2012, 101,000 Romanian-born people were resident in the UK.<ref name="2012 estimates">{{Cite web |date=August 2013 |title=2012; Estimated overseas-born population resident in the United Kingdom, by country of birth (Table 1.3) |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/population-by-country-of-birth-and-nationality/2012/population-by-country-of-birth-and-nationality-tables-january-2012-to-december-2012.xls |access-date=14 November 2013 |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]] |format=XLS}}</ref> By 2019, this estimate had risen to 427,000.<ref name="2019 estimates">{{ONSCoB2019|accessdate=23 May 2020}}</ref> This estimate fell to 345,000 in 2020.<ref>{{ONSCoB2020|accessdate=3 November 2021}}</ref>
*[[Octav Botnar]], Businessman

*[[Alina Cojocaru]], Dancer
The 2021 census recorded 530,320 Romanian-born people resident in England, 8,520 in Wales,<ref>{{2021CensusEngWalCoB|accessdate=22 April 2024}}</ref> and 6,612 in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{2021CensusNICoB|accessdate=22 April 2024}}</ref>
*[[George Constantinescu]], Scientist, Engineer and Inventor

*[[Moses Gaster]], Scholar
{{As of|2021}}, approximately 1,350,640 Romanians had applied to the UK government's post-[[Brexit]] [[European Union Settlement Scheme]], with 670,560 receiving pre-settled status and 435,720 receiving settled status.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 August 2021 |title=EU Settlement Scheme statistics |publisher=[[Home Office]] |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics |accessdate=15 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 August 2021 |title=EU settlement scheme statistics table: total applications by nationality up to 30 June 2021 |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1010270/euss-total-nationality-june-2021.ods |access-date=15 August 2021 |publisher=[[Home Office]] |format=ODS}}</ref> However, the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] notes that not all applicants to the EUSS will be resident in the UK.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lindop |first=Jay |date=2 July 2021 |title=Are there really 6m EU citizens living in the UK? |work=National Statistical |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]] |url=https://blog.ons.gov.uk/2021/07/02/are-there-really-6m-eu-citizens-living-in-the-uk/ |accessdate=15 August 2021}}</ref>

A particularly concentrated community exists in the [[Edgware]]-London suburb of [[Burnt Oak]] which has gained the nickname "Little Romania".<ref>{{Cite web |last=McNamara |first=Paul |date=1 December 2016 |title=Immigration: The suburb in London dubbed 'Little Romania' |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/immigration-the-suburb-in-london-dubbed-little-romania |access-date=15 August 2021 |website=[[Channel 4 News]]}}</ref> Large communities also exist in the London Boroughs of [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]] and [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]] and in [[Northampton|Northampton]] outside of London.
{{Historical populations
|footnote =Note: Besides for [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001]], [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011]], and [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]] when a census of the population took place, figures are ONS estimates of the number of Romanian-born residents. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95% confidence intervals.
|source = <ref name="ONSPopEstimates">{{Cite web |title=Dataset: Population of the United Kingdom by Country of Birth and Nationality |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/datasets/populationoftheunitedkingdombycountryofbirthandnationality |access-date=2017-05-26 |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]]}}</ref>
|2001 | 7,631
|2004 | 14,000
|2005 | 17,000
|2006 | 17,000
|2007 | 24,000
|2008 | 42,000
|2009 | 59,000
|2010 | 82,000
|2011 | 83,168
|2012 | 106,000
|2013 | 136,000
|2014 | 170,000
|2015 | 220,000
|2016 | 310,000
|2017 | 390,000
|2018 | 392,000
|2019 | 427,000
|2020 | 345,000
|2021 | 557,554
}}

[[File:Evolution of the number of Romanian nationals living in the UK (2010-2017).svg|thumb|upright=2|Evolution of the number of Romanian nationals living in the UK (2010–2017)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baciu |first=Paula |date=10 September 2018 |title=What brings Romanians to the streets |work=VoxEurop/EDJNet |url=https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/eng/News/Data-news/What-brings-Romanians-to-the-streets |access-date=11 September 2018}}</ref>]]

==Culture==
Most Romanians belong to the [[Romanian Orthodox Church]] religion and there are several Romanian Orthodox churches throughout the UK, such as those in [[Aberdeen]], [[Ballymena]], [[Birmingham]], [[Boston, Lincolnshire|Boston]], [[Bristol]], [[Cambridge]], [[Cardiff]], [[Caterham]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Glasgow]], [[Leeds]], [[Liverpool]], [[London]], [[Luton]], [[Northampton]], [[Norwich]], [[Nottingham]], [[Oxford]], or [[Poole]].<ref name="MOREOM">{{Cite web |title=Parohii din Regatul Unit al Marii Britanii și al Irlandei de Nord |trans-title=Parishes from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |url=http://www.mitropolia.eu/ro/site/173/ |access-date=9 May 2012 |publisher=Mitropolia Ortodoxă Română a Europei Occidentale și Meridionale |language=ro}}</ref>

==Social issues==
Around 75 per cent of women trafficked to the UK are from Romania, with the majority being victims of sexual exploitation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sleigh |first=Sophia |date=26 October 2020 |title=UK has become a 'pimp's paradise' for sex traffickers, senior MP warns as she calls for website ban |work=[[Evening Standard]] |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/uk-pimp-s-paradise-sex-traffickers-warning-diana-johnson-a4572932.html |access-date=28 October 2020}}</ref> In October 2020, an online summit was held to discuss the problem. Ahead of the event, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on commercial sexual exploitation, [[Dame Diana Johnson]], argued that "The industrial-scale sexual exploitation of Romanian women by UK men is a national scandal".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weaver |first=Matthew |date=26 October 2020 |title=Priti Patel urged to stop UK being 'pimp's paradise' |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/oct/26/priti-patel-urged-to-stop-uk-being-pimps-paradise |access-date=26 October 2020}}</ref>

Romanians in the UK have faced discrimination and xenophobic abuse, and were targets of some hate crimes following the [[Brexit referendum]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Touma |first=Ana Maria |date=1 March 2017 |title=Romanians in UK Worried by Suspected Hate Attack |work=Balkan Insight |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2017/03/01/car-attack-in-london-worries-romanians-02-27-2017/ |access-date=28 October 2020}}</ref> In the [[autumn]] of 2019, the [[Dăncilă Cabinet|Romanian government]] launched an advertising campaign to attract emigrants back to Romania, suggesting that a million jobs awaited them.<ref name="repatriation campaign">{{Cite web |last=Choi |first=Chris |date=11 October 2019 |title=Romanian workers go home - says Romania |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2019-10-11/romanian-workers-go-home-says-romania |access-date=15 August 2021 |website=ITV News}}</ref> In October 2019, Minister of Labour and Social Justice ({{langx|ro|Ministrul Muncii și Justiției Sociale}})<ref>{{Cite web |last=Florea |first=Daniel |date=19 November 2018 |editor-last=Stănescu |editor-first=Claudia |editor2-last=Giurgiu |editor2-first=Irina |title=Dăncilă despre remaniere: Întotdeauna e loc de mai bine, Guvernul trebuie să răspundă unor provocări noi |trans-title=Dăncilă about the reshuffle: There is always room for better, the Government must respond to some new challenges |url=https://www.agerpres.ro/politica/2018/11/19/dancila-despre-remaniere-intotdeauna-e-loc-de-mai-bine-guvernul-trebuie-sa-raspunda-unor-provocari-noi--213503 |access-date=15 August 2021 |website=[[Agerpres|AGERPRES]] |language=ro}}</ref> at the time Marius-Constantin Budăi told the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] that he wished for all [[Romanian diaspora|overseas Romanians]] to come home as soon as possible.<ref name="repatriation campaign" />

==Notable Britons of Romanian descent==
{{Div col}}
*[[Ikechi Anya]], footballer
*[[Zeev Aram]], furniture and interior designer ([[Order of the British Empire|OBE]])
*[[Alma Cogan]], singer
*[[Jimmy Cornell]], yachtsman, bestselling author of World Cruising Routes
*[[Steven Berkoff]], actor and author
*[[John Bercow]], politician
*[[Maria Björnson]], theatre designer
*[[Octav Botnar]], businessman
*[[Alexandra Bulat]], academic and county councillor
*[[Alina Cojocaru]], ballet dancer
*[[George Constantinescu]], scientist, engineer and inventor
*[[Moses Gaster]], scholar
*[[Miron Grindea]], literary journalist ([[Order of the British Empire|OBE]])
*[[Rosemary Harris]], actress
*[[Michael Howard]], politician
*[[George Hurst (conductor)|George Hurst]], music conductor
*[[George Iacobescu | Sir George Iacobescu]], chief executive of the [[Canary Wharf Group]] ([[Order of the British Empire|CBE]])
*[[Irina Lăzăreanu]], model
*[[Jeff Leach]], comedian
*[[Anamaria Marinca]], actress
*[[Micachu]], singer, songwriter and composer
*[[Nelly Miricioiu]], opera singer
*[[David Mitrany]], scholar
*[[David Mitrany]], scholar
*[[The Cheeky Girls]], Singers
*[[Paul Neagu]], artist
*[[George Iacobescu]], Chief executive of the [[Canary Wharf Group]]
*[[Emma Raducanu]], tennis player ([[Order of the British Empire|MBE]])
*[[Roy Redgrave (British Army officer)|Sir Roy Redgrave]], army officer ([[Order of the British Empire|KBE]])
*[[Ion Raţiu]], Politician
*[[Ion Raţiu]], politician
*[[Simona Armstrong]], Singer and actress
*[[Solomon Schechter]], rabbi
*[[Constantin Silvestri]], music conductor
*[[Peter Solley]], pianist
*[[Martin Sorrell]], businessman
*[[Monty Sunshine]], jazz clarinetist
*[[Viorel Tilea]], diplomat ([[Order of the British Empire|CBE]])
{{div col end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Romanian Embassy Kensington London 01933.JPG|The [[Embassy of Romania, London|Embassy of Romania]] in London.
File:Romanian Cultural Institute, Open House London 2015 01.jpg|The Romanian Cultural Institute in [[Belgrave Square]], London.
File:Romanian Cultural Institute, Open House London 2015 06.jpg|Romanian Cultural Institute, Open House London 2015.
File:St Dunstan in the West, Fleet Street, London EC4 - Iconostasis - geograph.org.uk - 1222906.jpg|Iconostasis in a chapel in [[St Dunstan-in-the-West]], London, used by the Romanian Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Romania|United Kingdom}}
*[[Romanian diaspora]]
*[[Romania–United Kingdom relations]]
*[[Romanian diaspora]]
*[[Immigration to the United Kingdom]]
*[[Romanian Americans]]
*[[Romanian Canadians]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
*[http://www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/about/ The Romanian Cultural Centre in London] (website)

*[http://www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/index.php/about-us Romanian cultural centre of London]
*[http://www.icr-london.co.uk/ The Romanian Cultural Institute in London] (website)
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/romanian/news/story/2008/07/080723_arena_arhiva_dorian.shtml BBC Romania 1939–2008] {{in lang|ro}}
*[http://romaninuk.net Roman in UK - newspaper for Romanians in the UK]
*[http://londonromaniansda.com/index_engl.html London Romanian Seventh Day Adventist Church]
*[http://www.radur.homechoice.co.uk/roc.html Romanian Orthodox Church]
*[http://www.romani-online.co.uk/ Romani Online]
*[http://www.diasporaonline.ro/ Diaspora online]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/romanian/learningenglish/ BBC English Language portal]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6222991.stm BBC news - Romanians in Britain]

[[Category:British people of Romanian descent| ]]
[[Category:English people of Romanian descent| ]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Romanian diaspora]]


{{EuropeansinUK}}
{{Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom}}
{{Romanian diaspora}}
{{Romanian diaspora}}
{{Portal bar|Romania|United Kingdom}}
[[Category:Romania–United Kingdom relations]]
[[Category:British people of Romanian descent|*]]
[[Category:English people of Romanian descent|*]]
[[Category:Romanian diaspora|United Kingdom]]
[[Category:European diaspora in the United Kingdom]]

Latest revision as of 13:19, 7 November 2024

Not to be confused with Romani people in the United Kingdom.
Romanians in the United Kingdom
Distribution of Romanian citizens in England, Northern Ireland and Wales by local authority
Total population
United Kingdom Romanian-born residents in the United Kingdom: 557,554 – 0.8%
(2021/22 Census)[note 1]
 England: 530,320– 0.9% (2021)[1]
 Scotland: 12,102 – 0.2% (2022)[2]
 Wales: 8,520 – 0.3% (2021)[1]
Northern Ireland: 6,612 – 0.3% (2021)[3]
Romanian citizens/passports held:
550,298 (England and Wales only, 2021)[4]
Regions with significant populations
London, Birmingham, Northampton
Languages
British English and Romanian
Religion
Romanian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Protestant, Judaism
Related ethnic groups
  1. ^ Does not include ethnic Romanians born in the United Kingdom or those with Romanian ancestry
Part of a series of articles on
Romanians
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Romanians in the United Kingdom (Romanian: Românii din Regatul Unit) refers to Romanian immigrants in the United Kingdom, both citizens and non-citizens, along with British citizens of Romanian ancestry. The number of Romanian-born people resident in the UK has risen from 83,168 at the time of the 2011 United Kingdom census to 557,554 at the time of the 2021 United Kingdom census.

Romanians constitute the fourth largest group of immigrants in England and Wales as of 2021, only behind those from Pakistan, Poland, and India. The decadal growth of 576% was the highest of any immigrant group and was driven by the relaxation of work restrictions.[5] Furthermore, as of late 2022, given the big rise of Romanian immigrants to the United Kingdom, the Romanian language became the third most spoken language in the UK after English and Polish.[6]

History, population, and settlement

[edit]
A map showing the distribution of Romanian passport holders in Greater London in 2021. Over 30% of Romanian citizens in the UK live in London.
  0.0%-0.99%
  1%-2.99%
  3%-5.99%
  6%-9.99%
  10%-14.99%
  15% and greater
White Romanian population pyramid in 2021 (in England and Wales)

The small number of Romanians that first arrived in Britain were primarily Jews fleeing persecution during the Second World War.[7] The activities of the Romanian exiles started in 1941, through the effort of individuals such as Ambassador Viorel Tilea, Major George Emil Iliescu, and legal counselor Ecaterina Iliescu. They founded the Anglo-Romanian Refugee Committee (ARRC) in 1948. The Free Romanian Orthodox Church was active in parallel to the ARRC between 1950 and 1955, under the leadership of Father Gildau, with a Parish Committee chaired by Mihai Carciog. This later transformed into the 'Romanian Orthodox Women's Association in the UK', which, in turn, became in 1956 the British-Romanian Association - also known under its Romanian name of ACARDA ("Asociația Culturală a Românilor din Anglia") - through the initiative of a representative group of individuals from the small Romanian community, including Ion Rațiu, Horia Georgescu, George Ross, and Leonard Kirschen, Marie-Jeanne Livezeanu, Gladys Wilson, Sanda Cârciog, and Mihai Cârciog.[8][9]

Ion Rațiu was the President of the British-Romanian Association between 1965 and 1985,[10] followed by Iolanda Costide between 1985 and 1996.[11] Rațiu became honorary president of the organisation in 1985.[10]

At the time of the 2001 Census, 7,631 Romanian-born people were residing in the UK.[12] In the 2011 Census, the Romanian-born population grew to 83,168 people throughout the UK, with 79,687 in England and Wales,[13] 2,387 in Scotland,[14] and 1,094 in Northern Ireland.[15] The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that, in 2012, 101,000 Romanian-born people were resident in the UK.[16] By 2019, this estimate had risen to 427,000.[17] This estimate fell to 345,000 in 2020.[18]

The 2021 census recorded 530,320 Romanian-born people resident in England, 8,520 in Wales,[19] and 6,612 in Northern Ireland.[20]

As of 2021, approximately 1,350,640 Romanians had applied to the UK government's post-Brexit European Union Settlement Scheme, with 670,560 receiving pre-settled status and 435,720 receiving settled status.[21][22] However, the ONS notes that not all applicants to the EUSS will be resident in the UK.[23]

A particularly concentrated community exists in the Edgware-London suburb of Burnt Oak which has gained the nickname "Little Romania".[24] Large communities also exist in the London Boroughs of Brent and Newham and in Northampton outside of London.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
2001 7,631—    
2004 14,000+83.5%
2005 17,000+21.4%
2006 17,000+0.0%
2007 24,000+41.2%
2008 42,000+75.0%
2009 59,000+40.5%
2010 82,000+39.0%
2011 83,168+1.4%
2012 106,000+27.5%
2013 136,000+28.3%
2014 170,000+25.0%
2015 220,000+29.4%
2016 310,000+40.9%
2017 390,000+25.8%
2018 392,000+0.5%
2019 427,000+8.9%
2020 345,000−19.2%
2021 557,554+61.6%
Note: Besides for 2001, 2011, and 2021 when a census of the population took place, figures are ONS estimates of the number of Romanian-born residents. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95% confidence intervals.
Source: [25]
Evolution of the number of Romanian nationals living in the UK (2010–2017)[26]

Culture

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Most Romanians belong to the Romanian Orthodox Church religion and there are several Romanian Orthodox churches throughout the UK, such as those in Aberdeen, Ballymena, Birmingham, Boston, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Caterham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Luton, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, or Poole.[27]

Social issues

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Around 75 per cent of women trafficked to the UK are from Romania, with the majority being victims of sexual exploitation.[28] In October 2020, an online summit was held to discuss the problem. Ahead of the event, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on commercial sexual exploitation, Dame Diana Johnson, argued that "The industrial-scale sexual exploitation of Romanian women by UK men is a national scandal".[29]

Romanians in the UK have faced discrimination and xenophobic abuse, and were targets of some hate crimes following the Brexit referendum.[30] In the autumn of 2019, the Romanian government launched an advertising campaign to attract emigrants back to Romania, suggesting that a million jobs awaited them.[31] In October 2019, Minister of Labour and Social Justice (Romanian: Ministrul Muncii și Justiției Sociale)[32] at the time Marius-Constantin Budăi told the ITV that he wished for all overseas Romanians to come home as soon as possible.[31]

Notable Britons of Romanian descent

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "TS012: Country of birth (detailed)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. '2022' > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'
  3. ^ "MS-A17: Country of birth - intermediate detail". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  4. ^ "TS005: Passports held". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  5. ^ "International migration, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  6. ^ Miriam Burrell (29 November 2022). "Big rise in Romanian speakers with 7.5% speaking the language in Harrow, ONS reveals Romanian is now the third most common language spoken in UK after English and Polish". Evening Standard. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  7. ^ Cesarani, David (1994). "The era of Asher Myers and Israel Davis, 1878–1906". The Jewish Chronicle and Anglo-Jewry, 1841-1991. Cambridge University Press. p. 74. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511470509. ISBN 978-0-521-43434-8.
  8. ^ Leustean, Laurentiu (2009). Orthodoxy and the Cold War: Religion and Political Power in Romania, 1947-65 (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. p. 245. ISBN 978-1-349-30411-0.
  9. ^ Mazurkiewicz, Anna (2019). Mazurkiewicz, Anna (ed.). East Central European Migrations During the Cold War: A Handbook. De Gruyter Oldenbourg. pp. 243–285. doi:10.1515/9783110610635. ISBN 978-3-11-060753-6. S2CID 241456445.
  10. ^ a b "Ion Rațiu". Cotidianul (in Romanian). 15 October 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Fotograme din exil: Iolanda Costide, marți la "Lumea și noi"" [Photograms from exile: Iolanda Costide, Tuesday on "Lumea și noi"]. TVR (in Romanian). 10 July 2014. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  12. ^ "Country of birth database" (XLS). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Archived from the original (XLS) on 11 May 2005. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  13. ^ "2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  14. ^ "Country of birth (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  15. ^ "Country of Birth – Full Detail: QS206NI". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  16. ^ "2012; Estimated overseas-born population resident in the United Kingdom, by country of birth (Table 1.3)" (XLS). Office for National Statistics. August 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  17. ^ "Table 1.3: Overseas-born population in the United Kingdom, excluding some residents in communal establishments, by sex, by country of birth, January 2019 to December 2019". Office for National Statistics. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95% confidence intervals.
  18. ^ "Table 1.3: Overseas-born population in the United Kingdom by country of birth and sex, January 2020 to December 2020". Office for National Statistics. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95% confidence intervals.
  19. ^ "Census 2021: Country of birth (extended)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Country of birth - full detail MS-A18". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  21. ^ "EU Settlement Scheme statistics". Home Office. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  22. ^ "EU settlement scheme statistics table: total applications by nationality up to 30 June 2021" (ODS). Home Office. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  23. ^ Lindop, Jay (2 July 2021). "Are there really 6m EU citizens living in the UK?". National Statistical. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  24. ^ McNamara, Paul (1 December 2016). "Immigration: The suburb in London dubbed 'Little Romania'". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Dataset: Population of the United Kingdom by Country of Birth and Nationality". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  26. ^ Baciu, Paula (10 September 2018). "What brings Romanians to the streets". VoxEurop/EDJNet. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  27. ^ "Parohii din Regatul Unit al Marii Britanii și al Irlandei de Nord" [Parishes from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland] (in Romanian). Mitropolia Ortodoxă Română a Europei Occidentale și Meridionale. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  28. ^ Sleigh, Sophia (26 October 2020). "UK has become a 'pimp's paradise' for sex traffickers, senior MP warns as she calls for website ban". Evening Standard. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  29. ^ Weaver, Matthew (26 October 2020). "Priti Patel urged to stop UK being 'pimp's paradise'". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  30. ^ Touma, Ana Maria (1 March 2017). "Romanians in UK Worried by Suspected Hate Attack". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  31. ^ a b Choi, Chris (11 October 2019). "Romanian workers go home - says Romania". ITV News. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  32. ^ Florea, Daniel (19 November 2018). Stănescu, Claudia; Giurgiu, Irina (eds.). "Dăncilă despre remaniere: Întotdeauna e loc de mai bine, Guvernul trebuie să răspundă unor provocări noi" [Dăncilă about the reshuffle: There is always room for better, the Government must respond to some new challenges]. AGERPRES (in Romanian). Retrieved 15 August 2021.
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