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Portuguese in the United Kingdom

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Portugal Portuguese Britons United Kingdom
Luso-Britânicos
Regions with significant populations
London, Channel Islands, East Anglia, South East England, Bermuda
Languages
English, Portuguese
Religion
predominantly Roman Catholic

Portuguese migration to the United Kingdom is a phenomenon that has been taking place since medieval times. Today, a large number of people in the United Kingdom were born in Portugal or have Portuguese ancestry.

History

The first Portuguese community in Britain was actually made up of people of secret Jewish descent (known as New Christians) who were escaped persecution in Portugal from 1496 onwards. This led to the founding of a small secret Portuguese Jewish community in London. By 1550 there were around a hundred members of the Portuguese Jewish community in London. This centred on the Anes family who provided a physician to Queen Elizabeth. The Portuguese Jewish community of London suffered a setback in 1609 when they were officially expelled. However, there is evidence that at least some of them continued to live in London.

The greatest number of Portuguese, however, came to the UK in the 1960s and 1970s during the rule of dictator António de Oliveira Salazar. Prior to membership of the European Union in 1986, Portugal was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe. The pressure on the land and limited opportunities in the manufacturing sector meant that there was often no alternative to looking for work abroad. During this period, many young men also emigrated to avoid military service, as Portugal waged a series of wars in an attempt to keep its African colonies. Many Portuguese people originated from their former overseas territories in Africa and Macau and former British territories Guyana and Hong Kong.

Population and distribution

There is an estimated 27,000 strong community in Lambeth alone and large numbers of first and second generations in Vauxhall, Harlesden and Camden Town. The countless cafés, restaurants and bars in Stockwell, otherwise known as Little Portugal, will be the focal point for most of the action. The largest static group is found in the Vauxhall area south of the Thames, a long-standing hub for the Portuguese community. Outside London there is a wide spread of Portugal-born people; many arrive for the agricultural picking season and then return home. During the late 1990s, a slow trickle of Portuguese immigrants started to arrive in the town of Thetford, East Anglia. By 2004, the media were suggesting that there may be as many as 6,000 Portuguese-speakers in the Thetford area - there are Portuguese cafés, restaurants, delicatessens, etc.

The Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey also have sizeable Portuguese populations, including many from Madeira. At the time of the 2001 census, around 7% of the population of the island - some 6000 people - had been born in Portugal. It has been estimated that between 15% and 20% of Jersey's population are of Portuguese origin. In 2000, the Portuguese community in Guernsey was estimated to be around 3.3% of the population. Also worth noting is the fact that 10% (around 7,000 people) of the population of the British overseas territory Bermuda is of Portuguese descent (particularly from The Azores)

The British Census of 2001 indicated that 36,402 people born in Portugal were in the UK in 2001 with 60% of Portugal-born people were in London – the most popular single area being Vauxhall. Three mostly agricultural areas predominate outside of the capital: the South West, South East and East of England. The census also showed that 50% of the increase in Portugal-born people between 1991 and 2001, was in the capital.

Famous Portuguese Britons

See also List of Portuguese Britons

British Citizens of Portuguese descent

Portuguese Citizens living in the United Kingdom

British - Portuguese Relations

See:

Twinnings

The list below is of British and Portuguese town twinnings.

See also

Template:UKethnicgroups

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