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People
from the Indian sub-continent have been travelling to Britain from
as early as the 17th century.
Pakistanis
are now the third largest ethnic minority group in Britain, however,
very few details are known about their socio-economic position.
The
1962 Act had a decisive effect on the pattern of migration.
It turned a movement of workers, many of whom who were probably
interested in staying temporarily, into a permanent immigration
of families.  |
| Our
Untold Stories |
The
settlement of Pakistanis in the county of Gloucestershire is not
direct migration from Pakistan, but from other regions in Britain.
It is relevant to point out that migration of Pakistanis into Britain
was to fill unskilled textile jobs in Yorkshire and Lancashire textile
mills.
Those
Pakistanis who entered Britain before the Commonwealth Immigration
Act in 1962 were predominantly economically active men.
The
so-called 'voucher system' gave the opportunity for those who were
already in Britain to arrange jobs and vouchers for their relatives
and friends. The 1962 Act had a decisive effect on the pattern of
migration. It
turned a movement of workers, many of whom who were probably interested
in staying temporarily, into a permanent immigration of families.
The
voucher system reinforced kinship and friendship bonds and therefore
helped the pattern of settlement.
Pakistanis
and other ethnic minority groups suffered a lot and are still suffering
as a result of negative attitudes by some people in the white community.
The
migration of Pakistanis to Britain started slowly and peaked in
1961 and 1962.
However,
some former seamen of Pakistani origin started settling in Britain
in the early 1940s, leaving ports and moving inland.
Two
other factors contributed to the migration of Pakistanis into Britain
and then Gloucestershire. The
first was the partition of India, when Pakistan (east and west)
was created and the second was the construction of the Mangla Dam
in Pakistan, in the early 1960s.
At the time of the partition in 1947, a large-scale movement
of population took place between India and Pakistan. Various
surveys have shown that many of these displaced people came
to Britain, thus becoming migrants twice. |
| Our
Untold Stories |
At
the time of the partition in 1947, a large-scale movement of population
took place between India and Pakistan. Various
surveys have shown that many of these displaced people came to Britain,
thus becoming migrants twice.
It
is estimated that about 100,000 people were displaced from Mangla
Dam area in the early 1960s. The villagers were given compensation,
some in the form of land in Panjab while others received cash and
settled in various areas of Pakistan.
But
some who had friends or relatives in Britain used the compensation
money to come to Britain and to find work. In 1950s travel agents
established offices in Karachi, Rawalpindi and other cities including
Mirpur to help would-be migrants.
It
was estimated in 1951 that there were 5000 Pakistanis (including
Bangladeshis) in Britain. In 1961 the estimated number of Pakistanis
reached 24,900 and by 1966 it had grown to 119,700. However, there
was a drastic decline in the number of immigrants coming as workers.
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| On
the night before Eid it is traditional to put Mehndi (henna)
on hands and feet. This is also done for weddings. |
It
is worth mentioning here that a significant number of Pakistanis
entered Britain and then Gloucestershire under the B voucher scheme.
A
significant number of Pakistanis entered Britain and then Gloucestershire
under the B voucher scheme.a significant number of Pakistanis
entered Britain and then Gloucestershire under the B voucher
scheme. |
| Our
Untold Stories |
a significant
number of Pakistanis entered Britain and then Gloucestershire under
the B voucher scheme. Between
1965 and 1967 almost 2,600 B vouchers were issued to Pakistanis.
Pakistani
migrants filled a gap for labour mostly in the unskilled sectors
and poorly paid jobs, available as a result of the reconstruction
and expansion of the British economy after 1945.
In
the 1960s and 1970s the myth of returning home was quite common.
However, more recently this myth among Pakistanis has diminished
because of economic circumstances and the future of their children,
which most of them see as being in Britain.
According
to the 1991 census, out of the almost 55 million population of Great
Britain, 477,000 were of Pakistani origin. Of these, about 450,000
lived in England, just over 21,000 in Scotland and almost 6,000
in Wales. Of
these about 227 lived in Gloucestershire, 4546 in the South West
and 4727 in the West Midlands.
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Gloucestershire's
Pakistani
community originate from the Punjab and Azad Kashmir areas
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More
than half of the Pakistani community in 1996 was British born (estimated
to be 66% in 2001) and almost all others have British nationality.
Therefore
Pakistanis in Britain can no longer be considered as "immigrants"
or "aliens", "foreigners "or "outsiders" - they are British Pakistanis.
Analysis
shows that Pakistanis are not evenly distributed throughout Britain.
Around 87% of Pakistanis live in four regions - the South East (30%),
West Midlands (21%), Yorkshire and Humberside (20%) and the North
East(16%). In
1996 the largest number of Pakistanis lived in Birmingham followed
by Bradford.
Unlike
other regional cities, the Pakistani population of Gloucestershire
is well scattered between inner city areas and the outskirts
of Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud and Tewkesbury. The majority
of Pakistanis are owner occupiers and are well settled and integrated.
|
| Our
Untold Stories |
The
Pakistani community in Gloucester is not made up of people who migrated
directly from Pakistan, but people who came as a second or third
stop from the other regions of Britain.
Unlike
other regional cities, the Pakistani population of Gloucestershire
is well scattered between inner city areas and the outskirts of
Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud and Tewkesbury. The
majority of Pakistanis are owner occupiers and are well settled
and integrated.
Nationally
the educational achievements of Pakistanis present a mixed picture.
For example in Waltham Forest, the average GCSE points scored by
Pakistani pupils in 1994/1995 were higher than white pupils, and
it was above average for the borough. However, in Birmingham the
Pakistani pupils scored significantly lower than white pupils.
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During
Ramadan Muslims may not eat between sunrise and sunset so
families often break the fast with a generous meal
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Other
research surveys have shown that Pakistani children in London had
significantly higher "performance scores" than some other ethnic
groups. The
situation in London and Waltham Forest is possibly due the class
differences which may affect their performances.
A similar
pattern can be seen in Gloucestershire where parents are better
educated and a good proportion are self-employed. They are then
able to contribute more to the education of their children.
The
Pakistani community in Gloucestershire originated from various
geographical areas of Pakistan. They are from Punjab and Azad
Kashmir. The
language links are very strong among its members and religious
links and facilities are shared with the Gujarati Muslim community.
|
| Our
Untold Stories |
There
is an increase in the number of Pakistani pupils in Gloucestershire
who are staying on in education after the age of 16. The proportion
of Pakistanis in higher education is increasing. The self-employment
statistics also show an increase.
If
the efforts of parents and educational institutions continue, the
achievement levels of the Pakistani community will increase. The
representation of Pakistanis in politics and public bodies is likely
to increase slowly.
The
traditional family system is the joint and/or extended family. The
joint family normally consists of a group of three or more generations
with a complex set of mutual obligations. They usually pool their
expenditure and income.
In
cases where some family members are working in other areas or abroad,
they still try to maintain family obligations and hold together
as a joint family.
The
Pakistani community in Gloucestershire originated from various geographical
areas of Pakistan. They are from Punjab and Azad Kashmir.
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| Pakistanis
in Gloucester share facilities including with the Gujarati Muslim
ccommunity |
The
language links are very strong among its members and religious links
and facilities are shared with the Gujarati Muslim community.
The
social links are very strong among the community. Being smaller
in numbers makes them able to socialise more and teach their children
the culture and language.
A Pakistani
social and cultural organisation is functioning in Gloucester. This
group was established in 1991. Some festival celebrations and events
to mark days of national importance have been arranged by this organisation.
Urdu
language classes are also held regularly for all age groups. The
group does not have its own premises and operates from various venues
which are hired on a temporary basis.
»
See 'Ehsun-Ul-Haq'
»
See 'Mohamed Sharif'
»
See 'Babar Vaqas'
» See 'Umara Hussain'
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