Congolese (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the United Kingdom

Congolese in the United Kingdom consist of immigrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) living in the United Kingdom as well as their British-born descendants. The demonym Congolese can also refer to people from the Republic of Congo, of whom there are fewer living in the UK.

Congolese in the United Kingdom
Total population
Democratic Republic of the Congo-born residents
19,510 Congolese-born (2011 census)
Regions with significant populations
Greater London
Languages
French, Lingala, British English, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili
Religion
Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism

According to the 2001 UK census 8,569 DRC-born people were residing in the UK.[1] In the 2011 census, 18,913 people born in the DRC were recorded as resident in England, 280 in Wales,[2] 298 in Scotland[3] and 19 in Northern Ireland.[4]

The majority of Congolese in the United Kingdom have come as political refugees. Congolese migration to the UK is a recent phenomenon, starting in the late 1980s.[5] Significant numbers of Congolese have been coming to the UK as refugees since the early 1990s.[6] According to official data, larger Congolese populations are found in Belgium and France.[1]

Some 11,000 Congolese people are estimated to reside in London, with large numbers being found in Hackney, Victoria and Tottenham, where a community of 3,000 Congolese individuals reside.[6] In 2006, community leaders suggested that there might be 30,000 to 40,000 Congolese in the UK, though the International Organization for Migration considers these to be unreliable estimates.[5]

Notes
  1. "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  2. "2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. "Country of birth (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  4. "Country of Birth – Full Detail: QS206NI". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  5. "D. R. Congo: Mapping exercise" (PDF). London: International Organization for Migration. November 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  6. Taylor, Rebecca (20 June 2006). "London lives: The Congolese barber". Time Out. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
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