Iranians in the United Kingdom
File:ShirinGuild.jpgFile:Abbas edalat.jpg | |
Regions with significant populations | |
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Throughout the United Kingdom, in particular West London and Southern Manchester | |
Languages | |
English, Persian, Languages of Iran | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Islam, also smaller minorities of Jews, Bahá'í, Christians and Atheists. |
British Iranians are people of Iranian origin who were born in or who have been brought up in the UK.
History
There have been several waves of migrants from Iran to the UK. In the 1960s, most arrivals were students, either of secondary school age or at university. From 1977, in the lead up to the Iranian Revolution, until the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, most new arrivals were middle class professionals arriving due to the Iranian Revolution. Those who have continued to arrive after this time have tended to come from a wider range of backgrounds.
By 1990 the Persian speaking community in the UK was estimated to number around 275,000, with the vast majority being found in the Greater London area. Other important communities are to be found in Brighton, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.
Famous Iranian Britons
Iranians living in Britain
- Massoud Behnoud, writer
- Ebrahim Golestan, film director
- Andranik Teymourian, football player, Fulham FC