Tooting is one of the London’s most multicultural areas, having been home to people from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Kenya for decades.
At the end of the First and Second World Wars and the subsequent dissolution of the British Empire, many families migrated to England from former colonies in search of a new start and greater opportunities.
According to the Oxford Migration Observatory, London has the largest number of migrants out of all regions of the UK with 37% of London’s residents are migrants.
Over the past few years, the issue of migration has been at top of the Conservative governments agenda, with prime minister Rishi Sunak pledging to ‘Stop the Boats’.
While the topic can divide public opinion, in Tooting its diverse history and makeup is commemorated.
Community initiatives alongside the efforts of one resident have sought to celebrate how migrant communities have shaped the neighbourhood over the years.
Find out more in the video below.
