COLOMBIAN IMMIGRATION IN THE UK
For generations Colombians have decided to move to the UK, here you will find some stories and historical data about the Colombian migratory movements
With tears in her eyes, she takes her beer and smiles. Although her voice cannot hide her nostalgia, she says that now she is happy, and that her life is as she always dreamed it. Her name is Esperanza, she arrived in England in 2018. Esperanza is Colombian, she is about to turn 50, of which she has lived in Europe for more than 20. Her first destination was Spain, where she arrived fleeing the violence that in The 90s hit her hometown Medellín, Colombia hard. “Here I am calm, I saw people die in the streets of Medellin, the only way out I saw was to take my things and travel. Then I brought my family ”.
Esperanza, works in the cleaning sector in a Spanish restaurant. She does not speak English but has learned to function in the city. She knows the bus route, she asks her acquaintances how to get to new places and in her work she interacts in Spanish.
I ask her if she misses her country, “Sure, but here I have a house, and a quiet, safe life, I am happy”
She is part of a group of Colombians who between the 80s and 90s decided to leave the country due to the wave of violence that was being experienced by the internal armed conflict and drug trafficking. According to immigration figures between 1996 and 2005, an average of 174 thousand Colombians per year left the country. In 1999, the year of the end of the century economic crisis, the number increased to 224,000 people.
Spain was the main destination in Europe for this third wave of Colombian emigration that occurred at the end of the 90s, however the United Kingdom was also a target for those seeking better life opportunities.
The economist William Mejía Ochoa explains that the economic opening at the end of the 90s in Colombia caused the bankruptcy of many companies. “The deterioration in employment levels, the collapse of international coffee prices and the worsening and generalization of violence, both common and associated with the internal conflict, generated an environment of insecurity and uncertainty in which emigration emerged as a viable exit ”.
However, the first massive cases of Colombian emigration to the United Kingdom occurred at the end of the 70s, due to a system of work permits for unskilled labor for the commercial services sectors, the hotel industry and restaurants. Luis Eduardo Guarnizo, in his studies on Colombian International Migration, relates that the majority of these emigrants were women who began to open a path for future emigrants.
According to the UN, women today represent half of the world’s migrant population. International migration has become increasingly feminized as more women migrate on their own and not as a dependent member of the family. By moving abroad to work, many women get opportunities that they would not have in their country of origin and, therefore, migration empowers them economically, allowing them to contribute constructively to the countries of destination, as well as to their families in the countries. originally.
Today, more than 30 years after the first massive emigration phenomenon, conditions seem the same for those Colombians who set foot on British soil. The majority of Latin Americans work in unskilled trades, leaving their professional careers behind.
In an investigation carried out in 2009 by Claudia Liliana Ruiz for the Javeriana University , the stories of Colombians living in London were explored. Most of the young people interviewed who had come to the UK had worked in cleaning jobs.
According to the study, one of the people said “ I have learned to appreciate that this country, even if you don’t know English, you are not going to die of hunger or without a roof to live in, people who are starving in a country like this It has an egg, I swear to you that here one gets a job in whatever way is cleaner, which has been the turn of most Colombians.
Without distinction of age, the stories of immigrants are similar to each other, language barriers, currency exchange, cultural barriers, high costs of living in England, lead newcomers to the country to work in jobs that do not require a high level of English, or experience.
Although at first it seems like a step to access better job opportunities in the future, the percentage of those who do is very low.
Gloria, 65, is another case of Colombian women who work in various trades, she says that every day she thanks God for being in England. His strong paisa accent, characteristic of the coffee region in Colombia, remains intact. From Monday to Friday, she works as a babysitter and on weekends on cleaning shifts. At the same qu e E Speranza, n or speak English, but with a smile says it learned to move in the city. She is not afraid to ask and, with the help of signs, makes herself understood by the natives.
According to figures published by Mary Queen University, the problem that affects 69% of Colombians living in England is to overcome the lack of English as a second language.
When he asked Gloria if she would return to Colombia, she assures that she would not, because even though she works for hours, she feels safe and happy living abroad.
Hearing stories like those of Esperanza and Gloria in England made me uneasy to further explore the Colombian migratory phenomenon in England. Knowing cases of professionals who have managed to excel in their careers and show a general map of the relationship between two countries located 10,000 kilometers apart.
A phenomenon that has remained for years.
In 2012, Queen Mary University of London did a study on the Colombian community in London. According to the research, Colombians made up the most stable group of Latin Americans in the British capital and the second largest after Brazil. For more than 6 years, researchers investigated socio-economic conditions and migratory experiences, as well as access to work.
The results of the investigation showed that the number of Colombians in the United Kingdom was approximately between 50,000 and 70,000, most of them living in London.
30% of people who had left the country, had done for economic reasons, the second reason was to study English. However, most of the vacancies that immigrants came to fill were in the hospitality or cleaning sectors. The strong value of the pound sterling against the Colombian peso was attractive to many nationals who saw London as a city of opportunities, likewise, the levels of violence that Colombia has registered throughout its history forced many to emigrate.
“On arrival in London, more than half of Colombians intended to return home (51%), usually when they had earned enough money, had finished their studies or learned English. However, the qualitative research showed that the longer people remained in London, and the more established they became, they often stayed for longer than originally intended. ”
Another of the data that the study revealed was that 32% of Colombians had arrived in the United Kingdom after having emigrated to another country first. Half of the Colombians first traveled to Spain and then moved to England.
In 1996, the Spanish state recognized immigrants’ social and economic rights and gave priority to family reunification, and in 2002 a process of regularization of immigrants began that benefited the Colombian colony .
The employment rate in the United Kingdom in 2019 was 3.9% compared to 20.20% in Colombia.
In 2012 , 81% of Colombians arriving in London had a job. However, and despite the high training of professionals, only 17.5% exercised their professional career. “ Migration to London involves a marked decline in occupational status for the vast majority of Colombians”
However, despite the phenomenon that the author Luis Eduardo Guarnizo has called the deskilling process, in other words that the migrant’s level of schooling is irrelevant when it comes to joining life in another country. The same author reports that the migratory experience is satisfactory, since although the opportunities seem smaller than those of their country of origin, finally they are more favorable due to the stability they offer.
Finally, it should be noted that the United Nations defines migrants as those people who live outside their country of birth or citizenship for more than a year. Currently, a series of economic, political and social factors force migrants to leave their country of origin. Many of them must seek employment elsewhere. They also migrate to reunite with family members who have already settled abroad
MORE THAN 80% OF COLOMBIANS COMING TO THE UK DO NOT RETURN TO THEIR HOME COUNTRY .
The latest studies on Colombian immigration date from 2012, and for this reason I decided to go further and proposed an investigation to find out in 2020 what is the most current panorama.
For family reasons, greater job opportunities or because they find their new home abroad, a high percentage of Colombians who emigrate to the United Kingdom decide not to return. A study carried out with the participation of the Colombian community in England glimpses the panorama of those who decided to leave their native country. These are the results.
The majority of the Colombian community residing in England is between 31 and 50 years old, in second place are young people under 30, and only 7.5% is elderly. Of these, 46,3% have lived in the United Kingdom between 2 and 5 years, but a high percentage 34,1 % have been more than 5 years, which means that the migratory phenomenon is not recent and that they have found in the new country opportunities to stay long term. 9,8% are between 1 and 2 years and 9;8%, have just arrived.
A first conclusion that the study throws up is that those who participated, mostly women, are permanently based in the United Kingdom. In addition, in a range of ages with a great capacity for work. Taking into account the restrictions regarding visas and residence permits, the survey investigated the legal situation of this community.
51,2% percent of those surveyed have a European Union passport and 31,7% have a British family . There is a small group that are master’s or short course students.
Employability
82,9% of the people surveyed are working in the UK . A high figure that shows the employability rate of Colombian migrants. Only 15% are not linked to the labor market. The interesting thing is to inquire what type of work plays this study population.
And the results that show that 40% are enroll in a professional career , while the rest of the people , 60% , work in jobs such as hospitality, commerce, restaurants, cleaning and others.
Vocational training
A high number of Colombians , 87.7 %, have a professional career, they are people with university studies . Of these , 39% have a master’s degree. This has been called by some researchers the nation’s brain drain phenomenon. Professionals with a high academic level who decide to emigrate. 12.2% have secondary education.
But, what that has motivated the migratory phenomenon of Colombian professionals to the United Kingdom
31,7% identified that the UK offers better job opportunities and greater economic stability than their country home. 31,7% responded that for family reasons, and in third place, 26,8% , the reason is for study, a especially, to pursue master’s degrees . 9,8% expressed that fleeing from violence in the country or the experience of living in an English-speaking country contributed to the decision to settle in the UK.
Despite the fact that the United Kingdom offers, according to those surveyed, greater economic stability, it was investigated what have been the advantages and / or disadvantages of starting a new life in a country other than Colombia.
The most mentioned advantage is undoubtedly is the job opportunities available to immigrants. Although newcomers are willing to work in unskilled jobs, that are not as well paid in Colombia as in the UK
In the words of the interviewees: The possibilities are endless. In this country ( The UK) whoever wants can. There is work and job security. There are a lot of regulations that protect workers from mistreatment and the job flexibility is great.
HoweverIt’s not all a bed of roses and deciding to leave your home country brings with it sacrifices and adaptation processes that require time and not in all cases turns out to be successful.
The disadvantages listed by the respondents are, leaving the family, the climate and inclusion in a new culture.
“The positive is that a better economic stability is achieved , a better future and the disadvantage is being away from the family “
Work, tranquility and a good education are achieved for the children. But the downside is that no matter how much time passes we will always be foreigners
Advantage: there are jobs with better pay, security, opportunities to travel and see places more easily. Disadvantage: cultural changes, it is more difficult to get a job having studies only from Latin America, the climate.
Security in everything. Better pay and way of life. It’s a little safer and health is good. Job wages and educational opportunities both as professionals .The study, better economic stability and a more open society
Country lays, friendly and organized
Cons: far from family
Advantages: security and better wages. Disadvantages : being away from family and friends, fewer connections in the workplace.
Advantages: better wages, more security, more travel opportunities, cultural exchange
Disadvantages: Colombian products are not easily available, taxes are high
Ease of travel and you can earn very well
job opportunities and better employment benefits
You are very connected to the world
Sense of security.
Advantages: the possibilities are endless. In this country whoever wants can. There is work and job security. There are a lot of regulations that protect workers from mistreatment and the job flexibility is great.
More opportunities with better salaries
Are Colombians united?
82.5% of those surveyed expressed that they have been related to Colombians , although some people expressed that there is a lack of greater communication and integration between the community . A 17,5% have not had any contact with people from the same country.
Another of the figures that drew attention is that the majority of Colombians reside with relatives, 37.5% with a spouse , 17.5% have children and 7% have their parents. Which means that there are households living in the United Kingdom. 42.5% are people who have emigrated alone.
Discrimination in the UK?
24,4% of those surveyed affirmed that they have felt discrimination in the United Kingdom , expressing the following :
I think that recruiters tend to have more in mind professionals with degrees or work experience from the UK, and the US, and another key point is the language.
They associate Colombia with drug trafficking, Marcos from Netflix sells us very badly . It is in force and l stereotype of Pablo Escobar and the drug
In the universities there are more opportunities for native whites than for foreigners.
In general, the need for a sponsor to access work visas reduces opportunities .
Recklessly racist state schools and services
On many occasions, they prioritized labor processes and chose local people, even having better studies and work experience than the other applicants.
Sometimes the selection processes notice a certain bias
I answered if only because some companies put more problems with the work visa (it is supposed that you have to show that you are better than a UK or EU candidate, but in reality this is not a problem)
Yes, but not necessarily for being Colombian if not for being a foreigner
In this sense , the next question was whether the Colombian academic level is valued in the United Kingdom for which 60% answered yes while 40% answered no.
Finally, 82,9% of the Colombians surveyed stated that they have long-term plans to stay in the United Kingdom. Only 20% said they will return to the country.
The reasons are listed below:
I would like to do a master’s degree here and maybe later go to a country in Europe
Job opportunities .free study.
I am in the process of entering university
better opportunities with my career
Security
The security issue. My spouse is English and it would be risky to go to Colombia, quality education and health is cheaper than in Colombia.
In the time that I have been in the UK I have built a family and a life.
Stay in UK for stability
When your children study and have their lives, it is very difficult to think of going back
When I grow up I want to live close to my family
To be able to finish my goals and to be able to bring my mother to live with me.
I want to consolidate the language, to be able to link with an entity other than the hospitality industry. Because of my age the opportunities in Colombia are nil, but not here.
Keep going, the chances are better
The quality of life I have here, security, well-paid working hours and normal hours.
I am married to English and our daughter was born here. Here we have made our lives and for now we will stay here. We have plans to retire in Colombia.
My husband is English and here are better opportunities for both of us on a professional level
For now I do not plan to return, maybe in the future
Husband and career
Sense of security.
I have family in Spain, so the most probable thing is that I will leave the UK to go to Spain. Although the date I do not know yet.
My husband is English and I started a family with him.
I am currently studying a part time degree and I plan to finish a master’s degree
If I move from the UK it is because we decided it with my partner. Now if I return to Colombia it is because we are retiring or because I have a job offer in a mega project (construction)
Continue due to my spouse’s miany job stability
Job
A better future for my daughters and we are now stabilized in the UK
Quality of life
I’m finishing my bachelor
The quality of life is incomparable, it is lived better and more calmly in the United Kingdom. At work there are more opportunities and stability without as much sacrifice as in Colombia.
My husband is British and our children were born here, I have a good job
I’m terrified of old age here
Finally and before concluding this study I want to present inspiring stories of those who have explored new markets and have innovated based on a traditional Colombian product such as coffee.
FROM THE COLOMBIAN FARMS TO THE STREETS OF LONDON, THE COLOMBIAN COFFEE ROUTE.
Before reading this article, close your eyes for a moment, and imagine the aroma of a coffee with sweet notes, soft on the palate, cultivated with love by a peasant family. And if you are not a coffee lover, this is the time to give one of the quintessential drinks of Colombian families a try.
Has a farmer from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta ever imagined that his specialty coffee would arrive directly from his farm to the streets of London? Although it seems like a dream. Today is a reality. Here we will tell you the story of Colombians who have successfully penetrated the English market with specialty coffees from our country.
And yes, who writes this is a Colombian, a coffee lover and fascinated by the life stories of those who fearlessly measured themselves to meet this challenge.
More than 20 thousand cups of Colombian coffee per month on the streets of London
Credits: Facebook Hermanos Coffee Roaster
Santiago and Víctor Gamboa smile and remember what their clients’ first day in London was like. Although they had already started the online sale of their product, it was on June 24, 2017 when the dream of serving the first hot cup of Colombian coffee was fulfilled outside the train station in the British capital.
“That was surreal, we couldn’t believe it, we already sold coffee online, but we wanted to open our own site. We decided to open the store. It was a site in a train station and we felt it as an achievement. “ Victor expressed. And seeing happy and surprised faces of English customers when tasting the coffee was the response they were waiting for and the go-ahead to a business that has taken them far.
“The emotion you feel when someone comes to buy you coffee for the first time. But, the biggest emotion was knowing that they told us what delicious coffee. And then watch the customers come back. That satisfaction of knowing that the product was of good quality and was being well received.
Hermanos Coffe Roaster Facebook page
In one of the Hermanos Coffee Roaster stores they still have, as an exhibition, the first coffee roasting machine they acquired and which took them a year to learn to operate. But how did these Colombian brothers get to the English market? Here we tell you their story.
Why did you decide to emigrate to London?
The first to set foot on British soil was Santiago, who arrived in 2001 motivated like many by the desire to learn English, studies that culminated in a master’s degree in International Finance. Following in his footsteps, 6 months later Víctor arrived.
What did they face when arriving in London?
Without hesitating for a minute Victor answers: The language! Also to the change of culture and food. Everything is totally different. And when you get here, the fear of speaking English is a pretty big barrier. So you only start to be with people who speak the same language, and that is very difficult because then you stay in a small Colombia being in a totally different country that was not what we wanted to do because we wanted to learn English.
However, as they say, they were very lucky because the company they joined while studying, saw the desire to work and opened opportunities for them to stay longer in the country. But they don’t deny that it was a tough adaptation process. “At first being outside of Colombia was difficult,”says Victor.
Although their initial plans were not to stay long-term in the United Kingdom, during their stay they discovered the opportunity that Colombian coffee had in the English market.
“We realized that we were two Colombian brothers, working in the industry, and we also saw the need for an offer of specialty coffees in England, we decided that we should show the great variety of coffee that is produced in Colombia. And that’s where Hermanos Coffee Roaster was born.
After studying the production process, means of importation for several years and after visiting coffee farms in Colombia, they launched their online product line and later in 2017 they opened their first store. “We had been trying to do things for a long time, we had started to sell coffee online over the internet, but we wanted to open our own site so that people could come and try it directly,” Santiago affirms.
Today just 3 years after this step, they have 4 stores in London located in WALTHAMSTOW, BROADWAY MARKET, VICTORIA and ALDGATE EASTand they are about to open new one. Before the closures as a result of the measures taken in England as a result of Covid 19, its monthly sales reached a ton of coffee. In other words, more than 20 thousand cups of Colombian coffee are drunk per month in London.
For Hermanos Coffee Roaster, the most important thing is to offer specialty coffees grown and brought directly from peasant farms, with a suitable roasting process and carried out directly by them. One of the house’s recommended ones is Kurumukis coffee, which has chocolate notes, grown in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Almost 50 people in London depend on their products between employees and suppliers, and in Colombia 11 coffee farms are in charge of the crops. Santiago affirms that they travel twice a year directly to visit the crops and choose the coffee (this year 2020, due to the closure of airports it has not been possible, but they hope to return soon)
Finally, I ask them what they think about Colombian businesses around coffee and what are their future plans, to which they respond: For me this is very good, I believe that each brand has its personality and the competition is good, since the great beneficiary is Colombian coffee and the image of our country. The advice I would give to new ventures is to be authentic and to follow their dreams, says Victor.
Santiago concludes, What other companies and independent people venture into coffee is very good because the market is huge. Our dream now is to expand to Europe and start selling in countries like Holland.
Although this pair of brothers have lived in England for more than 20 years, they visit Colombia frequently, according to Victor, his wife and daughters of 16 and 12 years (all three of English nationality) love Colombian culture, climate and landscapes. Unmatched attractions that make our country endearing and that the brothers preserve and offer 10,000 kilometers away in a cup of coffee.
AMAR CAFÉ.
If Victor recommends authenticity to new ventures, that’s what AMAR CAFÉ offers. A dream that was born in 2020, (a few days before the pandemic) and who is behind it is Loreinis Mejía, from Barranquilla, a social communicator who came to the United Kingdom with the initial illusion of working in the media of the British capital. , but that she discovered her life project in coffee. What makes it different? Their specialty coffees were taken from the iconic London telephone boxes, here is their story.
Credits: AMAR CAFÉ Facebook Fan Page
“AMAR CAFÉ was born in London in March of this year and it has been a process of much learning and much love to be able to share in England that with which we identify as Colombians. Specialty coffees are grown with high quality processes and under very specific conditions such as altitude. We currently have varieties from Huila and Tolima
But in addition to the high quality of the product, the most striking thing is that they decided to adapt the emblematic red telephone boxes in England to sell their coffee. They currently have three shops, two in Ghiswick and one in Greenwich Market Village. “Colombian coffee is a product that sells itself, people taste it and fall in love with it.”
Interview Loreinis Mejía
As its name indicates behind this brand there is also a love story, because Lore is married to the British Sean Rafferty who she met in Colombia when they were both touring one of the coffee farms that would later give them the inspiration to start this dream.
A good coffee, as Lore says, does not need sugar or milk to enjoy it. A special coffee brings with it flavors such as chocolate, orange, caramel, red fruits and the best, the story of a family that with good practices decides to cultivate it in lands prepared to produce one of the most appreciated beverages of Colombian families.
According to Procolombia figures, the entity in charge of Colombian exports, specialty coffee has an added and differentiated value that is attractive to international consumers. Among the most frequent destinations are the United States, Japan, Germany, Belgium and Canada.
The geographical conditions such as the altitude, the climate, the experience of the growers, give the coffee an intense aroma and softness on the palate. Additionally, Colombia is the largest producer of mountain coffee with sustainable cultivation practices. The coffee growers ensure the protection of water sources and the conservation of soils and the responsible use of agrochemicals.
The stories of Hermanos Coffee Roaster and Amar Café are just two of Colombians’ bets to offer the best of the country in the United Kingdom. Companies such as The Colombian Coffee Company created by Eduardo Flórez and Gabriela Oakley, Andina Colombia Coffee in Glasgow, Colombia Coffee Roasters in Oxford, or The Colombian Company was founded by Jhampoll Gutierrez Gomez, a Colombian born British Citizen, located in Bath and Bristol or Francini Café de Colombia located in picturesque town of Worcester.
Taken Google Maps.
This shows that the market is open to receive Colombian coffee and Colombians willing to conquer the United Kingdom with the best flavors of the EARTH.
Reference
http://www.espaciosdemujer.org/wp-content/uploads/migrantes.pdf
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/MigrationHR_and_Governance_HR_PUB_15_3_SP.pdf
Gaviria, Alejandro (2004), “VISA USA: fortunes and losses of Colombian emigrants in the United States”. CEDE Document №17, April 2004.
Gaviria, Alejandro and Carolina Mejía (2005), “The various faces of the diaspora: the links of Colombian emigrants with their country of origin”. CEDE Document №29, May 2005.
Guarnizo, Luis Eduardo (2004), “Colombian transnational migration: theoretical and practical implications”. Proceedings of the seminar on Colombian international migration and the formation of transnational companies , June 18 and 19, 2003.
Mejia Ochoa, William (2012). Colombia and international migration. Recent developments and current outlook based on the figures
