About us

Summary 

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Bolivians have been migrating to London since the 1960s. Their emigration from Bolivia is driven by political and economic instability there. Since around 2002, there has been a sharp increase in Bolivian migration to Europe, overwhelmingly to Spain although thousands have migrated elsewhere in Europe, including the United Kingdom. Bolivians perceive the United Kingdom as being more tolerant and welcoming, as well as having higher-paying jobs.

The 2011 census recorded 3,618 Bolivian-born residents in England, 24 in Wales, 113 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. In 2007, community leaders surveyed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that there might have been as many as 25,000 Bolivian-born people in the UK. We are looking forward to the results of the 2021 census to see how this figure has changed in the past 10 years!

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According to an IOM mapping exercise published in 2007, the overwhelming majority of all Bolivians in the United Kingdom reside in London. According to the report, boroughs with high concentrations of Bolivians included Southwark (mainly in Elephant and Castle, Old Kent Road and Peckham Rye), Haringey (mainly in Seven Sisters and Finsbury Park), Camden, Lewisham and Lambeth (mainly in Vauxhall and Brixton),  Outside of London, other concentrations were identified in Newcastle and Edinburgh

"2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2018)

Two waves of Bolivian migration to the UK can be identified. The first Bolivians came to the UK to escape the military coups that took place in Bolivia from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. There were about 500 to 1,000 of them and they are now long-term residents in the UK. The majority have British citizenship. The second migration was a consequence of the economic crisis which have afflicted the country from the mid 1980s until today

(Cita un estudio (‘Mapping Exercise) de la International Organisation for Migration de 2007 sobre bolivianos en el Reino Unido: https://web.archive.org/web/20151015162712/http://unitedkingdom.iom.int/sites/default/files/doc/mapping/IOM_BOLIVIA.pdf ) 

Background

Bolivia is a land-locked South American country, renowned for its natural beauty and rich cultural life. Geographically, it is divided by two Andean cordilleras, or mountain ranges, which demarcate the country into three ecozones: the Andean high plateau (Altiplano); the semitropical Yungas and temperate valleys of Cordillera Oriental; and the tropical eastern lowlands.

Bolivia is a BIG country. It is 1,098.580 square kilometres, about 4.4 bigger than the UK.

It is populated by only 11, 817 million people (2021) or about 10 habitants per Km2, of whom roughly 40% are indigenous, 55% are mestizo (mixed Spanish and indigenous heritage), and 5.1% are of Spanish descent. A bit more than 50% of people are women, and about 80% of the population identify as Catholic. The number of Protestants rises quickly and is closer to 20%. Indigenous religious and spiritual faiths and practices are both separate tradition and part of the two Christian denominations in Bolivia.

Bolivian people in London – challenges and achievements 

In spite of the country’s rich natural resources, 10.6% of the Bolivian population were living on less than 3.2 dollars per day in 2018.

The history of Bolivia is marred by political and economic instability, not least from the mid 20th century onwards. A number of military coups and economic crises have resulted in bouts of migration to urban areas within Bolivia and emigration to other countries. Three periods in particular saw great waves of migration: the National Revolution of 1952; the several military coups and juntas from 1964 to the late 70s; and the economic crisis and hyper-inflation of the mid 80s. Bolivians arriving in England was an exciting adventure!

The multi-ethnic outlook of London allows for multiple identities, and there is no inherent contradiction in being both Bolivian and a Londoner. We have the best of both worlds. Long-term residents hold on to their Bolivian-ness by belonging to the Bolivian Diaspora.

What characterises the Bolivian Diaspora unity are parties. This was considered a trait brought to London from Bolivia. Parties arranged by the two long-term resident Bolivian community organisations – Friends of Bolivia, and the Anglo-Bolivian Society – are considered of great importance by a number of long-term residents. In these parties, they were able to go back to their roots and express their Bolivian-ness. The multi-ethnic character of Britain is a welcoming environment to build and retain a strong ethnic identity, which is vital for Bolivians to feel part of our community of communities.