Recognition

Official Recognition of Latin Americans

There are nearly half a million Latin Americans in the UK

In 2016, Latin Americans were the second fastest-growing non-EU migrant group in London and the eighth largest non-UK born population. These findings were based on the 2011 census and adjusted up to 2013. This showed that there were 145,000 Latin Americans in London and 250,000 Latin Americans in the UK (McIlwaine & Bunge 2016).

These estimates were building on and updating information from the authoritative No Longer Invisible report (McIlwaine et al. 2011), commissioned by our founding Steering Group member, the Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS), and funded by Trust for London.

Now, in 2025, we estimate that this number is much higher. While there are no official statistics on Latin Americans – given the lack of a Census category – studies and available research have used country-of-birth data to estimate the population of Latin Americans.

With this in mind, according to the UK Labour Force Survey, there were 450,000 Latin Americans – born in Central and South America – residing in the UK in the last quarter of 2020 (Turcatti & Vargas-Silva 2022). As community organisations, we know this is likely an underestimate, as it only includes people born in Central and South America – excluding those born in the Caribbean, Mexico, or as second-generation, born in the UK with a Latin American heritage.

Following 12 years of collective work to achieve the official recognition of Latin Americans as an ethnic group among a list of public authorities,

and for Spanish and Portuguese to be recognised as community languages, we will continue to pursue this at the local and national level. This will enable better data and knowledge about the Latin American population, improve their access to statutory services, and increase visibility and awareness of Latin American communities.

 

In the legacy of the Latin American Recognition Campaign, CLAUK has been a core platform to advance this cause on behalf of the communities, and we will continue to work with other stakeholders to recognise the Latin American identity in the UK. 

We equally hold as a high priority that our culture and community spaces are recognised and that Latin Americans have security and are treated with dignity in the urban development of cities.

With shrinking civic spaces and the threat of gentrification, many Latin Americans do not have access to social spaces where they can seek mutual aid among peers. 

We believe that Latin Americans have a significant positive impact on the life of cities, economically, socially and culturally. And it is only fair to afford them with the recognition they deserve.

History of Migration and Community Formation

Since the 1970s, Latin Americans in the UK have arrived in waves and made their lives in the country, becoming part of Britain’s public life through thriving markets, cultural initiatives and community organisations.

Beginning with Chileans escaping persecution during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, and later on in the 1980s and towards the end of the millennium with Colombian migrants fleeing turmoil at home, the influx from the region has incrementally led to the formation of highly diverse and culturally rich communities in the UK.

Within this diversity, Brazilians and Colombians are the two largest nationality groups, with sizeable proportions of Ecuadorians, Bolivians, Peruvians, Argentinians, Mexicans, and Venezuelans.

While the community has traditionally concentrated in London, there has been movement and new pockets of Latin American communities emerging beyond in other parts of the country, particularly in Manchester, Leeds, Brighton, as well as more broadly in Scotland and Wales. Notably, the vast majority of public knowledge on Latin Americans has come from the buzzing cultural and economic contribution of Latin restaurants, businesses, festivals, and other initiatives that have sprung out where the community exists. Yet an important frontier remains in terms of the visibility of Latin Americans in the face of public institutions and policy making.

Towards a nationwide and UK Census recognition

Starting with the idea that being counted in official statistics matters to achieve meaningful integration of migrants, Latin Americans across pioneering organisations came together under the umbrella of CLAUK to gain official recognition as an ethnic group. In particular, the Coalition sought the inclusion of the category ‘Latin American’ in ethnic monitoring and pursuing the implementation of that recognition in borough consultations, council community engagement, and representation in local services.

CLAUK’s victories encompass key boroughs of concentration of Latin American population including:

  • London Borough of Haringey (2025)
  • London Borough of Hackney (2016)
  • London Borough of Islington (2015)
  • Greater London Authority (2014)
  • London Borough of Lambeth (2013)
  • London Borough of Southwark (2012)

Working alongside academic partners and community leaders, CLAUK has responded to multiple public consultations from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) since 2012. The request has been consistent and clear: the inclusion of a single ethnic group category, widely supported by the community and reflecting decades of high-quality service provision built under this identity.

Recognition is a first step of many in the search for better living conditions and access to rights for Latin American migrants. We are committed to continue informing public understanding of the presence and needs of Latin Americans, as the community remains invisible, under registered and underrepresented in the policy, strategy, and practice of the country. We hope to continue working together with local authorities, central government, and other migrant-led and Latin American organisations to bring about positive change.