Newham is consistently ranked as the London borough with the highest proportion of foreign-born residents, with figures frequently cited around 57% or higher. It is identified as the most ethnically diverse borough in the country, with 69.2% of its population identifying as non-white.
There was negligible growth in the foreign-born population in Queens, home to the largest number of immigrants. See Table 1 and Figure 6. More than one million immigrants–35 percent of the total foreign-born population–live in this borough. Close to half of Queens is foreign-born (48 percent).
The area with the highest number of asylum seekers living in contingency accommodation is Tory-controlled Hillingdon where 2,238 asylum seekers are housed - around 0.7% of the more than 300,000 people living in the North London borough.
Newham's ethnically diverse population has decreased slightly from 71.7% in 2011 to 69.2% at Census 2021, but it is still the most ethnically diverse Borough in London. The majority, (42.2%), of Newham's ethnically diverse population is Asian (see Figure 7).
In Bromley, for example - one of London's least deprived and least diverse boroughs - there are only four neighbourhoods in the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in London. These four neighbourhoods are four of the five neighbourhoods in Bromley with the highest proportion of residents with Black African backgrounds.
The biggest immigrant population in London, by country of birth, is from India, followed by large communities from Romania, Poland, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, reflecting both historical Commonwealth ties and recent EU migration patterns, with India consistently leading as the largest single non-UK birthplace, notes the Trust for London.
But do people seeking asylum get this free housing forever? No. When someone gets refugee status, they can no longer stay in asylum accommodation. They can choose where to live, but they have to pay for their rent or ask for government help – like any UK citizen.
All of these local authorities are within London, which is the region with the largest proportion of non-British nationals residing (23%). The UK region with the lowest proportion of non-British nationals is North East England (4%).
Asylum seekers in the UK generally receive about £7.03 per day (£49.18 per week) in cash support for essential living costs like food, toiletries, and clothing, but this amount is reduced to about £1.42 per day (£9.95 per week) if the GOV.UKHome Office provides accommodation with meals GOV.UK. This money is provided on a pre-paid card and is intended to cover basic needs, as asylum seekers are typically not allowed to work.
The most popular destination in the UK among migrants is London. Based on UK census data from 2021 (2022 in Scotland), London emerges as the most popular destination for migrants (Figure 1).
Golders Green is often referred to as a Jewish area, and 2021 Census data shows that 49.9% (7,358 of 14,744) of residents identified as Jewish, making it the epicentre of the largest Jewish population in Europe along with its surrounding areas, including Hampstead, Hendon and Finchley within the Borough of Barnet, ...
Muslims are a much smaller minority south of the river, although significant communities of west and east African Muslims have formed in Peckham, Camberwell and around Old Kent Road, including Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ivorians, and Somalis.
The foreign born make up the largest share of the population in Newham (56.9%) and Brent (53.5%) with much lower shares in other areas such as Bromley (15.5%) and Havering (13.8%).
Almost 96 per cent of Black Britons live in England, particularly in England's larger urban areas, with close to 1.2 million living in Greater London. 47.8% of the total Black British population live in London.
Brixton is mainly residential, though includes Brixton Market and a substantial retail sector. It is a multi-ethnic community, with a large percentage of its population of Afro-Caribbean descent. It lies within Inner London and is bordered by Stockwell, Clapham, Streatham, Camberwell, Tulse Hill, Balham and Herne Hill.