Natives of the Republic of the Philippines have long spread their reach far and wide to other countries in search of a better life, more opportunity and political stability. Many Pinoys who leave the Philippines do so because they have a family to support back in their home country and they are hopeful that other countries will provide them with the opportunity to be able to send money to the Philippines in order to support them. Find information about work visas for UK for Filipinos here.

Filipino Expats in the UK

The United Kingdom has long been a very desirable destination for people from the Philippines and other parts of the world. It is a stable, established democratic country with strong ties to Europe. Establishing themselves in the United Kingdom not only enables them to earn far more money than they would at home, but gives their children the opportunity to have access to the economic and opportunity-rich powerhouse that is the European Union.

How Many Filipino Migrants Are There?

The Manila Times estimated that there were 200,000 Philippines nationals working in the United Kingdom in 2007, 10,400 of which gained United Kingdom citizenship – this is compared to a figure of less than 1,500 just six years before. This demonstrates that migration to the United Kingdom from the Philippines is most certainly on the rise. In 2007, 3% of the overall remittances to the Philippines originated as a result of transfers from the United Kingdom.

Of course, as more and more Filipino families become established in the United Kingdom, they also bring their relations over to join them. This has resulted in areas such as Earl’s Court in London having large and vibrant communities, the residents of which still celebrate the festivals, food and culture of the Philippines on a regular basis. Aside from London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester are also home to large Filipino populations.

Impacts of Filipino Migration to the UK

The impacts of this migration are twofold. To the United Kingdom, already a popular “melting pot” of different cultures and nationalities it adds yet another layer of cultural depth to the population. To the Philippines, aside from the obvious benefits of education and experience of other cultures, it brings substantial financial benefit. Even if the United Kingdom only makes up 3% of the international money transfers into the Philippines – that is 3% of many billions of dollars. That money goes directly into the Philippines economy and enables some Filipino families to have access to opportunities that would otherwise be far beyond their means.

Of course one thing that has to be considered by Filipino expats in the United Kingdom is the costs of sending those much needed funds back home to their families. There are a wide range of different options for achieving this. OrbitRemit’s direct transfer service has been developed with Filipino remittance senders in mind, and enables a remittance which is funded in Pounds Sterling to arrive in a Philippine Peso based bank account within 1-3 days for extremely low fees. Check out the calculator on the right hand side of the page to figure out how much you can save with OrbitRemit.