Syrian Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Syria lies on the eastern Mediterranean and is home to Damascus and Aleppo, two of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Many Syrian families came to Birmingham after 2015 through the government's resettlement scheme for people fleeing the civil war, joining doctors and professionals who had settled earlier.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 9,495 people living in the city had been born in Middle Eastern countries other than Iran and Iraq, a group that includes Syria; and 19,996 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Arab.

Working for Birmingham

Syrian doctors, pharmacists, engineers and teachers are rebuilding their careers in Birmingham, often retraining to have their qualifications recognised. Syrian families have opened restaurants, sweet shops, bakeries and barbers, and many work in construction, retail and transport. Their children are doing well in the city's schools and colleges.

Every community that has settled in Birmingham has helped to shape it. Newcomers have filled gaps in the workforce, opened shops and restaurants, and raised children who have gone on to become the city's doctors, teachers, engineers and entrepreneurs. The Syrian community is part of that tradition of hard work and ambition, and of the city's own motto: Forward.

Culture and community life

Syrian food, from shawarma and falafel to kibbeh, fattoush and pastries soaked in syrup, is winning fans across Birmingham. Eid is celebrated with family and sweets, and Syrian Christians mark Easter and Christmas. Music, poetry and the famous Aleppo tradition of hospitality keep the culture strong.

The story of the Syrian 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.