Kashmiri Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Most Kashmiri families in Birmingham come from the Mirpur district of Azad Kashmir. When the Mangla Dam was built in the 1960s, thousands of villages were flooded, and many families moved to Britain to work in the factories of Birmingham and other industrial cities. Others trace their roots to the Kashmir valley in India.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 12,310 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Kashmiri; and 9,446 residents gave Pahari, Mirpuri or Potwari as their main language. Main language figures leave out the many bilingual residents who use English day to day, so the number who speak the language at home is higher still. Many more people of Kashmiri heritage record their ethnic group as Pakistani, so the community is larger than the Kashmiri figure alone.

Working for Birmingham

The first Kashmiri arrivals worked long shifts in foundries, mills and transport. Their children and grandchildren are now doctors, pharmacists, teachers, solicitors, police officers, councillors and business owners. Kashmiri-run businesses, from takeaways and shops to car dealerships and property firms, are a major part of the economy of east and south Birmingham.

Birmingham is one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe, and its progress has always depended on people who chose to make it home. Its hospitals, schools and universities, its building sites, workshops, warehouses and kitchens all rely on skills brought from around the world. The Kashmiri community adds its own share to that effort, and takes pride in giving back to the city that welcomed it.

Culture and community life

Eid is the high point of the year, and mosques and community centres are at the heart of Kashmiri life. The Balti Triangle owes much to Kashmiri and Pakistani cooks, and weddings, poetry evenings and cricket matches bring families together. Many young people speak English, Urdu and Pahari with ease.

The story of the Kashmiri community in Birmingham is still being written, by students, workers, parents and pensioners who call the city home. It is a story of hard work, friendship and quiet pride, and Birmingham is richer for it.