Fact-Finding Visit to Birmingham: 3-13 August 2010

Birmingham has been home to those escaping hostility and violence for over two hundred years.  It has the second largest Afghan population in the UK after London, with a community of 14,000 people living there.

Unlike the other diaspora groups, the Afghan community cannot be regarded as well established in Birmingham, as they do not possess a well-organised structure.  In addition, the Afghan community have not been able to set up their own media resources, something which the other groups have all done.

As in many other groups, the fact that the community is in exile from their country of origin does not necessarily lead to cohesion-  for a variety of reasons, people are often divided along ideological, regional and linguistic lines.  Another stumbling block common to all societies is that there is also generational conflict within the community.  Afghans who arrived and settled in Birmingham at a young age have a strong desire to integrate and use mainstream services but the older generation of Afghans, who are less inclined to use mainstream services, therefore finding it more difficult to overcome any problems that they may have.

There are three main types of community group: socio-political, religious and refugee-orientated.  The main distinctions between the types of group are that some pursue a political agenda with some celebration of cultural events and festivals, whilst others have a purely social agenda, celebrating cultural and religious festivals and events.  In addition, they are established on a regional basis, i.e. groups that are only for people living within a certain area.  Unfortunately, there is no longer a single organisation or venue that caters for Afghans in the entire area. 

There are some functioning Afghan community organisations in the West Midlands, and it is important to note that these are run voluntarily or with limited funding.  If the Afghan community are to flourish in this region, it is necessary for them to come together and mobilise in the way that other ethnic groups have.  With appropriate funding, there is no reason why the Afghan community cannot come together to create a network of community organisations and then embark upon increased communication with the society at large.   

Through meeting with Afghans in Birmingham and the West Midlands, Afghan Action found that their main concerns relate to unemployment, mental health issues resulting from exposure to the conflict in Afghanistan, the need for the younger generation to learn about Afghan language and culture and the necessity for the greater representation of women.  If the aforementioned organised community structure can be implemented, there is no reason why the Afghan community cannot face these issues and increase their already important contribution to UK society.

August 2010