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Learning toolkit

Background

Migration from South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, to the UK and Wales, is deeply connected to British colonisation in the region. The East India Company was set up in 1600 to trade with India. It grew powerful and by 1858 India was controlled by the British government. Colonisation persisted until India gained independence on 15 August 1947.

Throughout history, individuals from South Asia have shown a penchant for migration across the Indian Ocean and beyond Asia. European colonialism brought new opportunities and challenges, reshaping Indian mobility by establishing direct links with the West. The navigation of European ships created a transoceanic route, attracting diverse travellers.

The growth of the British Empire brought more Asian immigrants, mainly working as servants to the UK and Wales. Employees of the East India Company returned home from South Asia and brought domestic servants, including children and ayahs (nannies) with them. While slavery was legal in colonies, it was illegal in Britain. However, some Indians working as 'servants' were not free. Treatment varied widely, from kindness to extreme violence. Some servants were promised a return to their home country, which often did not materialise. Despite legal protections, some owners treated their servants as slaves.

Over two and a half centuries, an estimated 20-40,000 Indians, spanning various social strata, undertook this voyage. Some settled permanently, integrating into British society, while others returned to India, sharing their Western experiences with their communities. 

The main phase of South Asian migration to the UK and Wales has been since the 1950s. A study found that 18% of immigrants relocated within England and Wales from 1939 to 1971.

(Fisher, 2024; Tiagi, 2024; BBC, 2024)

Bibliography

Activities

Objective - To discover more about Southern Asian migration into Wales and the successes and challenges migrants experienced.

Compare with the other groups and their migration stories into Wales and try to make connections/see similarities in reasons behind migration into Wales and the UK.

Learning experiences

(derived from the statements of what matters)

Humanities
  • Understanding ideas and perspectives
  • Human impact on the world
  • Understanding the past
  • Understanding human rights
  • Similarity and social differentiation
  • Contribution to society
  • Identity
Health and Well-being
  • Empathy
  • Understanding relationships
  • Feelings and mental health
  • Social decisions
  • Social awareness

 

17th Century

There is a record of South Asian presence in the UK over 400 years ago. After the East India Company arrived in South Asia during the 17th century, many South Asians travelled to the UK, where they were employed to work as:

  • servants
  • maids
  • sailors
  • dockers

 

 

Indentured Labour (1834 to 1917)

Following the abolition of slavery, a system known as 'indentured labour' was established to increase the number of workers on British colonies' sugar farms in the West Indies. Over 2 million Indian workers were transported to 19 colonies, including:

  • Fiji
  • Mauritius
  • Ceylon
  • Trinidad
  • South Africa

Despite promises of wages and land, these workers often faced harsh conditions and low pay.

Pre-1947 Direct Migration

Early South Asian settlers in the UK and Wales included diverse groups, such as:

  • servants (like nursemaids)
  • professionals (like doctors and lawyers)

They played various roles, contributing significantly to British society despite facing discrimination.

Post-1947 Migration

Continuing after 1947, South Asian migrants came to the UK and Wales for reasons such as fleeing conflict, seeking better opportunities, and reuniting with family. Despite challenges, they have made substantial contributions to the UK's political, economic, and social landscape.

Twice Migrants

Many people from Gujarat and Punjab in India, worked as merchants, traders, and civil servants in British Empire countries in East and South Africa. After these countries gained independence in the 1960s countries such as Uganda forced Asian individuals to leave the country. 

'Twice migrants' refers to South Asian people who settled in British colonies, who later migrated to the UK and Wales.

Modern

South Asian immigration has increased, particularly in skilled service jobs such as:

  • banking
  • ICT
  • commerce

This reflects the economic growth in India and other parts of the subcontinent.

As can be seen in the table below, South Asians constitute Wales’ largest ethnic minority.

Ethnic group, national identity in Wales according to the National Census

 

2011

2021

White: Welsh, English, Scottish, Northern Irish or British

95.6%

93.8%

Asian, Asian Welsh or Asian British

2.3%

2.9%

Black, Black Welsh, Black British, Caribbean or African

0.6%

0.9%

Other ethnic group

0.5%

0.9%

Mixed or multiple ethnic groups

1%

0.6%

Multiple ethnic group households

4.2%

5.3%
Cardiff resident with South Asian heritage.
Cardiff residents with South Asian heritage.
Cardiff residents with South Asian heritage.

How does Wales compare to the rest of the UK?

 

2001 census

2011 census

2021 census

% of the British Population that identified as Asian in some way

3.9%

7.5%

9.3%

% of the Welsh Population that identified as Asian in some way

0.9%

2.3%

2.9%

Of this Asian ethnic population, the largest country of origin were those of southern Asia such as:

  • India
  • Pakistan
  • Bangladesh

As we can see from the table, there has been an increase in migration in the last 2 decades. However, census data reveals that before the Second World War, immigration levels remained low. The pace of migration surged in the late 1990s, reaching unprecedented levels. Between 1991 and 2011, the foreign-born population of England and Wales more than doubled, expanding by nearly four million individuals, now accounting for 13.4% of the population.

Possible reasons for migration from the Indian subcontinent to the UK and Wales include

1) Economic well-being: Migrants were drawn to the UK and Wales due to economic opportunities with 39% migrating for purely economic reasons.

2) Status : For 60% of Punjabis and over 50% of Gujaratis, local status competition significantly influenced migration decisions, alongside economic allure.

3) Education: Since 1870, Indian university graduates have flocked to Britain for further studies in fields like medicine, engineering, and law, a trend continuing to this day.

4) World War I demand: The onset of WWI saw a surge in demand for labour, drawing a large number of Indians to support British army and important industries.

5) Escaping competition: Since 1500 AD, Indian immigration to the UK and Wales has been driven by a desire to escape land and employment competition, viewing Britain as a land of opportunity.

6) Historical ties: Long-standing historical ties between India and the UK and Wales have influenced migration patterns from the Indian subcontinent.

East African Asians

1960s and 1970s

Thousands of East African Asians with a British passport migrated to the UK and Wales during the 1960s and 1970s due to discrimination or expulsion from newly independent African countries like Uganda.

The experiences of individuals from South Asia who have recently migrated to Wales

KIRAN Cymru logo

With thanks to KIRAN Cymru

Bibliography

  1. Leon DA, Strachan DP. Socioeconomic characteristics of interregional migrants in England and Wales, 1939-71. Environ Plan A. 1993 Oct;25(10):1,441-51. PMID: 12286801 available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12286801/ accessed on 31 Mar 2024
  2. A summary history of immigration to Britain. Updated 12 May, 2014 available at: www.migrationwatchuk.org/briefing-paper/48 accessed on 31 Mar 2024
  3. Raaj Tiagi (2024) Occupational distribution and mobility of migrants born in South Asia: evidence from England/Wales Census, 1901–1911, South Asian Diaspora, 16:1, 35-48, available at doi.org/10.1080/19438192.2023.2183321 accessed on 31 Mar 2024
  4. Fisher, Michael, Early Asian Travelers to the West: Indians in Britain, c.1600-c.1850. World History Connected 10.1 (2013): 40 pars. 31 Mar. 2024, available at: worldhistoryconnected.press.uillinois.edu/10.1/forum_fisher.html, accessed on 31 Mar 2024
  5. Ram S. Indians in England: why did they emigrate? Popul Geogr. 1987 Jun-Dec;9(1-2):37- 44. PMID: 12179028 available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12179028/% 20highest,and%2043.3%25%20were%20from%20Gujarat, accessed on 31 Mar 2024
  6. www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z327cwx/revision/2 accessed on 31 Mar 2024
  7. Anitha, S. and Pearson, R. (2013) Striking Women. Lincoln: University of Lincoln. Available from: www.striking-women.org [Accessed on 31 MAr 2024]
  8. SCHAEFER, RICHARD T. “INDIANS IN GREAT BRITAIN.” International Review of Modern Sociology, vol. 6, no. 2, 1976, pp. 305–27. JSTOR, Available from: www.jstor.org/stable/41420610. Accessed on: 31 Mar. 2024.
  9. Hiro, Dilip. “Indians in Britain.” India International Centre Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 3, 1979, pp. 217–24. JSTOR, Available from: www.jstor.org/stable/23001611. Accessed on: 31 Mar. 2024.
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