About the ONS Consultation
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Government Statistical Service (GSS) are consulting on ethnicity standards that will shape Census 2031 and how the UK collects data on ethnicity across all government services. This is our opportunity to demand that “Latin American” be included as an official category.
4 February 2026. This is a firm deadline, which is why we’re organising sessions in January to give everyone time to respond.
Currently, Latin Americans are statistically invisible in the UK. Without official recognition in the Census and ethnicity standards:
- Our communities don’t show up in data
- Services aren’t designed with our needs in mind
- Funding doesn’t reach our communities
- Policymakers don’t see us or understand our challenges
- Our contributions to the UK are invisible
Official recognition would change all of this.
You’ll respond to the ONS consultation by sharing your views on why Latin Americans should be included in the ethnicity standard. We’ll show you exactly how to do this at the information sessions and provide materials to help.
No! The consultation is open to anyone living in the UK. Your voice matters regardless of your immigration status.
No. The ONS consultation is a public consultation about data collection standards. It is completely separate from immigration processes and will not affect your immigration status in any way.
Yes! That’s exactly why we’re holding these sessions—to make sure everyone feels confident and supported.
You don’t need any special knowledge or experience. Your lived experience as a Latin American in the UK is what matters.
About CLAUK's Campaign
We’ve been campaigning for Latin American recognition for 12 years. In that time, we’ve achieved recognition in multiple London boroughs (Southwark, Lambeth, Islington, Hackney, Newham, Haringey) and built relationships with MPs, local authorities, funders, academic partners, and healthcare institutions. This ONS consultation is the most important opportunity for national-level recognition we’ve had in a while.
This consultation will determine the ethnicity standard for Census 2031 and influence how the entire UK government collects ethnicity data. It’s the single most important opportunity to achieve national recognition in our current context.
The ONS will review all responses and publish their decision on the new ethnicity standard in 2026. If we’re successful, “Latin American” will be included in Census 2031 and in ethnicity monitoring across government services.
- Spread the word! Tell other Latin Americans about the sessions
- Share our campaign video on social media
- Encourage friends and family to sign up or respond to the consultation
- Follow CLAUK on social media for updates
- Consider joining our Ambassador Programme (launching soon)
We have backing from:
- 15 CLAUK member organisations
- +100 community members who have expressed interest
- MPs Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Neil Coyle
- Greater London Authority, Haringey Council, Lewisham Council
- Academics like Prof. Cathy McIlwaine and Dr. Jamie Scuffell
- Latin American Health and Care Network
- Over 20,200 people reached through our social media campaign
Updated: December 2025
About the Information Sessions
These are sessions where CLAUK will explain the ONS (Office for National Statistics) consultation on ethnicity standards, why it matters for Latin American communities, and how you can participate effectively. We’ll provide guidance, materials, and answer your questions so you feel confident responding to the consultation.
Sessions will take place in January 2026. We’ll send you confirmed dates and times in early January. Based on your responses to our callout, most sessions will be scheduled for weekday afternoons/evenings to accommodate the highest number of participants.
Based on callout responses, we’re prioritising online sessions, which the majority of respondents requested.
Confirmed session formats:
- Spanish: Online sessions (confirmed – highest demand)
- Portuguese: Online session (confirmed)
- English: Online session (confirmed)
- In-person: We’re assessing whether to offer one bilingual (Spanish/English) in-person session, depending on final numbers. No Portuguese speakers expressed interest in in-person sessions.
We’ll confirm the final session schedule in early January based on this assessment.
We received responses from people across the UK, including:
- Greater London
- Birmingham
- Falmouth/Truro (Cornwall)
- Glasgow (Scotland)
- Guildford (Surrey)
- Haywards Heath (West Sussex)
- Leicester
- Manchester
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Sheffield
- Windsor (Berkshire)
This geographic diversity shows the breadth of Latin American communities across the UK. While we’d love to offer in-person sessions in every city, the majority of respondents preferred online sessions, which also allows us to reach everyone regardless of location.
If we confirm an in-person session, it will be held in London at an accessible community venue. All venue details, including accessibility information, will be sent when we confirm the final schedule in early January.
Most sessions will be held during weekday afternoons/evenings (Week PM), as this was the most requested time slot.
Attend whichever language you’re most comfortable with! Sessions will be offered in Spanish, Portuguese, and English online. If we offer an in-person session, it will be bilingual (Spanish/English). When we send the confirmed schedule in early January, you’ll be able to choose the language and format that works best for you.
Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, including time for questions and discussion.
Absolutely! We encourage you to bring anyone from the Latin American community who wants to learn more and participate. The more voices we have, the stronger our response will be.
No preparation is needed! We’ll provide all the information and materials you need at the session. Just bring yourself, your experiences, and your questions.
Don’t worry! We’ll provide comprehensive materials and guidance that you can use independently if you can’t attend. These materials will include:
- Step-by-step guide to responding to the consultation
- Key talking points
- Example responses
- FAQs about the consultation process
We may also upload recordings of online sessions to our YouTube channel for those who can’t attend live.
If we offer an in-person session and childcare support would help you attend, please contact us at info@clauk.org.uk and we’ll see what we can arrange.
Practical questions on joining information sessions
Yes! We’ve been working intensively since the consultation opened in October to build the strongest foundation for our response. We analysed all your responses to determine the best session formats and times. We’re now ready to bring everyone in the community into this effort. You’ll hear from us in early January with all the details you need.
We’re currently assessing whether to offer one bilingual (Spanish/English) in-person session based on the number of people who expressed interest. We’ll confirm in our early January communication whether an in-person session will be offered. Regardless, all online sessions will provide the same comprehensive information and support.
Based on your responses, the overwhelming preference was for online sessions. Online sessions also allow us to reach Latin Americans across the entire UK, not just those in London.
Absolutely! When we send the final schedule, you can choose whichever session works best for you, regardless of which language you initially selected.
Please let us know at info@clauk.org.uk. We want to make sure everyone can participate. Tell us what you need and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
Email us at info@clauk.org.uk or reply to the email you received when you signed up. We’re here to help!
Just reply to the confirmation email and let us know. No problem at all.
Technical requirements for online sessions
We’ll send full joining instructions in early January, including the platform details and links.
- A device with internet connection (computer, tablet, or smartphone)
- A web browser or app (we’ll provide specific instructions)
- Optional but helpful: a microphone and camera so you can ask questions
There will be alternative ways you can access the materials and guidance, either through our website, social media or email.
We’ll provide comprehensive materials and guidance that you can use independently if you can’t attend. These materials will include:
- Step-by-step guide to responding to the consultation
- Key talking points
- Example responses
- FAQs about the consultation process
We may also upload recordings of online sessions to our YouTube channel for those who can’t attend live.
We’ll let you know in advance if any downloads are needed, but we’ll try to use platforms that work directly in web browsers.
About Privacy
No. Your registration information is only used by CLAUK to contact you about the information sessions and campaign. We do not share your information with third parties.
No. Your consultation response goes directly to the ONS. Whether you attended our sessions or not is completely separate and private.
We may record sessions to upload to our YouTube channel for those who can’t attend live. We’ll inform you at the start of the session if recording is taking place, and you can choose to turn off your camera and/or use only the chat function if you prefer not to be on camera.