The British Pakistani diaspora: Migration, integration and the intersection of race, ethnicity and religion

This paper provides a sociological overview of the post-war immigration, settlement and community development of British Pakistanis. First, there is an historical perspective on Issues of migration and settlement. Second, an analysis of demographics and social mobility provides a deeper socio-economic contextualisation, with a focus on the city of Birmingham as a test case. Finally, the Implications for community development in the context of plural societies is explored in the light of recent events where British Pakistanis have attained less favourable notoriety, namely In questions of socio-economic status, radicalisation and extremism. It is suggested that there are significant challenges facing this community, but very few real social, economic, political and cultural opportunities to better engage in society.