Fijian Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Fiji is a nation of more than three hundred islands in the South Pacific. Its people include indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians, whose ancestors came from India in the 19th century. English, Fijian and Fiji Hindi are official languages. Fijians in Britain include soldiers, veterans, their families, students and professionals.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 159 people living in the city had been born in Oceania outside Australia and New Zealand.

Working for Birmingham

Fijians have served in the British Army for decades, and Fijian veterans and their families have settled in towns and cities across Britain. Fijians also work in healthcare, security, education and sport, and Fijian rugby players are famous around the world.

Much of the work that keeps Birmingham moving happens out of sight: the night shift on a hospital ward, the early start on a building site, the plumber who fixes a boiler on a winter evening, the teaching assistant who helps a child learn to read. People from every community in the city do these jobs, and Fijian residents are part of that everyday effort to make Birmingham a better place to live.

Culture and community life

Rugby sevens is a national passion, and Fiji won Olympic gold in the event in 2016 and 2021. Kava, a drink made from a pepper root, is shared at ceremonies, and lovo, food cooked in an earth oven, is prepared for celebrations. Fiji Day on 10 October is marked with pride.

For anyone who wants to learn more, the best introduction is the simplest one: say hello. Birmingham's communities are at their best when they meet, share food and learn from one another, and the Fijian community is a warm part of that everyday exchange.