The Colombian community in London - Geography - Queen Mary ...

this is the thing, therefore if someone could help them. They have done marches, and
the church is asking for legalisation. This is essential because there are lots of people
working honourably, coming here for their families, but they don‟t have papers, it is
essential for them so that they can have services‟.
Figure 17: Main projects needed for Colombians in London
Language training
Amnesty for immigrants
Better immigration advice
Job training
Better access to housing
Better access to financial
services
Recognition as ethnic group
Other
Source: Questionnaire survey (N=100)
Wider processes of integration and lack of information also emerged as an issue; many did not
know where to start looking for assistance. For example, Reynaldo (interviewed in 2010 – see
above) said he felt that if people had more information about wider society then this isolation
might not occur so much:
„Many people arrive here and because of the lack of information, they don‟t know what
they have a right to, what is available here for people; for example, many people come
with the dream of studying and there is a lot of help to study, but they don‟t have the
information.‟
Overall, the need for integration that could be facilitated through some form of pathway to
regularisation and citizenship, together with improved language training emerged as central to
addressing the problems and needs of Colombians and Latin Americans more widely in
London.
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