History
Leicester is a historical area of migrant settlement that has attracted many people of different races and cultures over the centuries. The following section provides a brief account of successive waves of immigration and settlement int the city.
19th and 20th century: Jewish refugees
A number of the Jewish refugees from Russia that arrived at the end of the nineteenth century settled in Leicester and these were followed by others fleeing Nazi Germany in the twentieth century. At its height, the Leicester Jewish community probably comprised of around 1,000 residents, and many of these lived in the Highfields area of the city. Despite being small in number, the Jewish population in Leicester has played a significant role in the political life of the city and a number of Jewish residents have acted as mayor over the centuries (Newman 2002).
1930s and 40s: Poles and Latvians
A significant number of Poles arrived in Leicester as exiles from around 1939 and continued to settle in significant numbers until after World War Two. However, these arrivals are generally not referred to as refugees, despite the fact that they were displaced by war, as they were welcomed as workers to fill labour shortages. A large number of Polish and Latvian refugees moved into the Highfields area and a Polish church, day centre and Polish Club were established (Highfields Remembered). These centres continue to serve the Polish community, which is now more dispersed across the city.
1960s and 70s: Asians
By the 1960s, there was already a large Asian population in Leicester, many of whom had migrated from the Punjab and Gujarat in India, and from Pakistan to work in the UK.
1960s and 70s: East African Asians
These migrants were followed by East African Asians who began arriving in large numbers in the 1960s following events in several newly independent African countries. The numbers of East African Asians arriving in the UK rose dramatically from 6,000 in 1965 to 31,600 in 1967 after African governments announced intentions to restrict the entry and residence of non-citizens.
1960s and 70s: Ugandan
In 1972, after Idi Amin expelled Asians from Uganda, many Ugandan Asians came to the UK. A large number of Ugandan Asians were attracted to Leicester for the same reasons that many immigrants and UK migrants were. The presence of a significant East African Asian community already resident in Leicester provided an additional attraction to these new arrivals. It has been estimated that 6,000 of the Asians expelled from Uganda by Amin finally resettled in Leicester
1990s: Kosovars
Leicester was one of the first cities to receive a number of the Kosovan refugees arriving as part of the evacuation programme organised by the UK in 1999. In the last four years, a substantial Kosovan Albanian refugee community has developed in Leicester as a result of this initiative.
1990s: Somalis
Since the 1990s, increasing numbers of Somalis have begun arriving in Leicester. Many of these Somalis are refugees and asylum seekers fleeing civil war in the Somali regions, or British Somalis (both former refugees and former labour migrants) migrating from other UK cities, or EU nationals, who have migrated to Leicester after having received refugee status and citizenship in other EU countries, especially the Netherlands.
The majority of the Somalis arriving in Leicester have settled in poor quality private sector accommodation in the Highfield and St Matthews areas, with others settling in areas such as Goodwood, Beaumont Leys, Braunstone and Northfield.. A Somali Steering Group has been established to address the needs of this particular population in Leicester.
2000 onwards
The dispersal of asylum seekers away from London and the South East to other regions of the UK was introduced under the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act in order to reduce the demand on areas where there is a lack of housing. The dispersal process was overseen by a new agency called the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), which provided support and accommodation to adult asylum seekers via contracts with various councils around the country. As part of Home Office restructuring, NASS ceased to exist as a directorate in 2006 and all asylum support issues are now dealt with by the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA).
Today Leicester is playing a significant part in the reception and resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers. Indeed, as an urban area with a range of services and an existing well-integrated ethnic minority community, Leicester clearly meets the Home Office's criteria for a cluster area and is a defined ‘dispersal' area.
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Last Updated: 06/10/09
