Young Serbs in the UK

Most of the young Serbs who live in the UK today arrived at the time prior, during and after the war years in the former Yugoslavia. Combined with the second and third generation of the post World War II immigrants, and topped up by a steady treacle of postgraduates and young professionals from other parts of the globe, this segment of the Serbian UK population, comprising people in their twenties and thirties, is arguably the largest.

The generation that came to the UK in the years before the conflicts of the 1990’s, usually arrived to the UK with their parents who were employed in various Anglo-Yugoslav commercial ventures, in private or more often state-owned companies or as representatives of Yugoslav government. These young people, for most part, attended primary and secondary education in the UK and as such are probably now best described as British Serbs who see their future in the UK. Even though they were arriving and integrating into the UK society from an early age, they had, in most cases, retained the cultural and linguistic links with Serbia, mostly thanks to language classes at the state funded school and frequent visits to the homeland.

The descendents of the post World War II population, on the other hand, maintained their cultural identity mainly through links with Serbian Orthodox Church.

The 1990’s wave arrived to the UK shores from all parts of former Yugoslavia where Serbs lived. This population, which is to an extent still coming, is to a large degree characterised by a relatively high level of education (at least at a level of high school education with the university degree often completed either in the UK, ex-Yugoslavia or elsewhere in Europe or North America). This generation arrived in very large numbers that are today difficult to estimate, as there is no official statistics and most of the new emigrants arrived independently. The high educational and cultural level and good knowledge of English have helped their largely seamless integration into the British society.

Today, these people work in all walks of life, some in renowned British and global institutions as scientists, doctors, bankers, lecturers, etc. Although they have been living in the UK for over a decade now, they retain very strong links with their families and friends in Serbia and elsewhere and they see themselves as Serbs living in the UK. The similarity with the pre-conflict arrivals is typically represented in the taste for modern culture, arts and sports, as well as the same mentality and language.

As most of them are now starting families or already have children, there is a growing interest that their young children should not lose their Serbian identity and become irreversibly assimilated into the English speaking mileu.

Among the young Serbs in Britain, a fair number is active in the fields of art, such as painting, design and photography, which is witnessed by numerous exhibitions in art galleries from London to Edinburgh. Young Serbs have won awards at British film festivals and taken part in theatre and stage shows. Many young Serbs have completed musical education in the UK and have had countless performances in famous music halls, including the Royal Albert Hall, St. John Smith Square, Royal Festival Hall etc. Serbs are active in the field of literature and poetry as well, continuously contributing to the circles of British creative writing.

As sport is one of Serbian national passions, young Serbs in the UK are no exception. There are two Serbian basketball teams, one of which is currently playing in the Metropolitan League, and both run basketball classes for children, which are well attended. Amateur Serbian football clubs also exist from time to time.

As most other young people, young Serbs like to enjoy themselves and socialise. Over the last two decades, a number of Serbian nightclubs, bars and restaurants provided entertainment, national food or music, not only in London, but across the UK. Young Serbs are proving happy to introduce their non-Serbian friends to Serbian music, food and party style.

Even though not overtly politically active, young Serbs in the UK follow events in the homelands with sharp interest. This was evident in 1999, when together with their older compatriots, they openly expressed fierce opposition to bombardment of Serbia, and also in 2000, with a show of support for the efforts of democratic forces in Serbia to bring about the regime change. Since those turbulent times ended, young Serbs in the UK have been mostly preoccupied with their families, jobs and other typical modern life issues. They continue, however, to be progressive and liberal in their minds.

Although their lives are now in the UK, most of them are not opposed to the idea of returning to Serbia one day, and some are even considering various professional opportunities which would provide a path for them to reintegrate into the modern Serbian society and contribute to its progress with their acquired knowledge and modern values. They proudly and rightly so see themselves as a bridge that connects the two societies to the benefit of both.

One of the key aims of the Serbian Council of Great Britain is to promote development of the Serbian community in the UK by fostering stronger links between our Constituents, many of whom are young Serbs still unaware of the size of our community and its networking potential. Furthermore, the Council aims to encourage participation of the Serbian community in all aspects of the British society.