Colombians in The United Kingdom - History

History

See also: History of Colombia and Immigration to the United Kingdom since 1922

Latin American migration to Europe has been growing rapidly since the mid-1960s. The first migrants consisted of Chilean and Argentine refugees, these were followed by Colombians and many other Latin American groups in the early 1970s. Many Colombians came to work in the UK on visas mainly in the domestic services and catering industries, however as many visas began to run out, many Colombians remained illegally in the UK, by the early 1990s some 80,000 Latin Americans were residing in London, with the majority being Colombian. Colombians in the UK tend to originate from the country's urban areas such as Bogota, Cali, Medellin and Palmira, although some come from the smaller towns and countryside. There are roughly three stages of Colombian migration to the UK, between 1975 and 1979 many came under the work permit system to take up jobs in low pay domestic services predominantly. Between 1980 and 1986 many relatives and families of the early settlers came to the UK, many of them soon became illegal immigrants due to themselves overstaying their visas. Another stage where significant numbers of asylum seekers came to the UK was between 1986 and 1997 when thousands came to the UK due to guerrilla and paramilitary violence in Colombia. This is the period where the largest number of Colombians came to the UK, although significant numbers are still migrating today as the Colombian British population expands into its second generation. Historically, the United Kingdom has, in fact, proven the most popular European destination for Colombian migrants despite the lack of historical links that are evident with Spain. Spain alongside several other European nations has formerly been dubbed a "reservoir of migrant labour". However since the turn of the millennium, Spain has become a key destination within Europe for Colombian migrants and is now home to the largest Colombian community in the continent, followed by that of the United Kingdom.