MulticulturalismIn The United Kingdom

Definition of multiculturalism

"Multiculturalism" is the co-existence of diverse cultures, where culture includes racial, religious, or cultural groups and is

manifested in customary behaviours, cultural assumptions and values, patterns

of thinking, and communicative styles.

People of the UK

Immigrants

Population of the UK

Country of birth Population(2010 census)

Population(2011 OSN Estimate)

United Kingdom 53,923,642 54,233,000

India 467,634 729,000

Poland 60,711 643,000

Republic of Ireland 533,901 457,000

Pakistan 321,167 457,000

Germany 266,136 297,000

David Cameron declared that the doctrine of multiculturalism has

“failed”In February 2011, David Cameron held a speech on

multiculturalism at the Munich Security Conference. In his speech he criticised "state

multiculturalism" claiming it had failed and arguing that the UK needed a stronger national identity to

prevent people from turning to all kinds of extremism. The speech created a row and angered some Muslim groups, while others questioned its timing amid an English Defence League rally in the

UK.

Do you think England is a multicultural country?

• 'In the cities and large towns – yes, because larger populations mean greater cultural diversity. Rural populations can still be very insular and unwelcoming though.'

• 'Yes – there are people from all over the world living in England.'

• 'I do – Manchester, for example, has large Chinese, Afro Caribbean and Indian/South Asian communities within it – plus the vibrant gay village in the city centre. Many cities in England have good mixes of cultures and lifestyles.'

• 'Yes, definitely. Our music, films, TV, radio, literature. The strong religious and cultural communities in cities. The number of 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants that no longer consider themselves immigrants.'

Religion in the UKDespite falling numbers Christianity remains the largest religion in England and Wales in 2011. Muslims are the next biggest religious group and have grown in the last decade.

Meanwhile the proportion of the population who reported they have no religion has now reached a quarter of the population.

• In the 2011 Census, Christianity was the largest religion, with 33.2 million people (59.3 per cent). The second largest religious group were Muslims with 2.7 million people (4.8 per cent).

• 14.1 million people, around a quarter of the population in England and Wales, reported they have no religion in 2011.

• The religion question was the only voluntary question on the 2011 census and 7.2 per cent of people did not answer the question.

• Between 2001 and 2011 there has been a decrease in people who identify as Christian (from 71.7 per cent to 59.3 per cent) and an increase in those reporting no religion (from 14.8 per cent to 25.1 per cent). There were increases in the other main religious group categories, with the number of Muslims increasing the most (from 3.0 per cent to 4.8 per cent).

• In 2011, London was the most diverse region with the highest proportion of people identifying themselves as Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Jewish. The North East and North West had the highest proportion of Christians and Wales had the highest proportion of people reporting no religion.

Religious affiliation, England and Wales, 2011Census - Office for National Statistics

Polish migrants

The 2001 UK Census recorded 60,711 Polish-born people resident in the UK. 60,680 of these were resident in Great Britain (the UK minus Northern Ireland), compared to 73,951 in 1991. With the

migration that has followed Poland's accession to the EU, the Polish-born population in the whole of the UK is estimated to have risen to 515,000 in the year to March 2010. Unofficial estimates have put the number of Poles living in the UK higher, at up

to one million.

Polish-born people in employment in The UKAt the expansion of the EU including Poland on 1 May 2004, the UK granted free movement to workers from the new member states.

St/ John the evangelist R.C. Polish Church

St. Andrew Bobola Polish R.C. Church in London

The Polish University Abroad in London

Polish language and Culture school in Manchester