'They must learn' - settled migrants fume at lack of English spoken in their UK town

A small town in the UK is at risk of losing its grasp of the English language, with migrants themselves urging newcomers to learn it before moving. In the heart of the Midlands, the Leicester district of North Evington has become a hub for migrants from Asia and Africa. Here, English is no longer essential to daily life. In the suburb, the presence of other cultures - which has enriched the area in many ways - now seems to overshadow its British character. The high street is a crowded row of colourful businesses, each sign written in a language other than English.

Dipika's, a beauty salon, sits alongside Shiv Shak's, Desi Sweet Centre and Szechwan Spice. Across the road, advertisements read 'Abdul Enterprise' next to Sabziiwala Cash and Carry, while a group of young men gathered inside DFC, a halal chicken shop. According to the latest government census, 43% of North Evington's 1,670 residents - almost half - aged 16 and over speak little to no English. The district, less than 10 minutes from Leicester city centre, is home to a large South Asian community, with residents speaking West and East Asian languages, African dialects, Arabic, Portuguese and French. North Evington, which has two mosques and a Hindu temple, is among 34 Leicester neighbourhoods where at least one in five people cannot speak English.

While many residents prefer the comfort of their mother tongue, others who have learned English are increasingly frustrated.

Mohammed, 50, moved from Pakistan as a child and now owns Mithai Mahal, a local business. He said he "knew the importance of English" when he arrived in the UK and went on to complete his A levels.

"People come here and they only want to speak their native language, they don't want to get into English and that's very disheartening. We must learn English first," he told the Express.

"I've seen that people, like students from abroad, they come here and study, but they must learn English first because it contributes to their studies. It is important to learn English."

Masters student Dev Mistri, 21, moved from India to North Evington earlier this year. Having learned English before arriving, he believes it is essential for everyone to understand at least the basics.

"I recently went to a snooker [club] and I saw that many people were speaking Arabic, Punjabi, but not English that much," he said. "We are living in the UK, so we should speak English. It is an international language so I think everywhere should at least understand it."

When the Express approached locals and shopkeepers, many were unable to answer even simple questions such as "Do you live here?" Several customer-facing workers on the high street needed colleagues to translate.

One 23-year-old resident, born and raised in North Evington, blamed the older generations for the lack of English.

"The new generations that are coming over now, they are wanting to learn English," he said. "I think it's just the older generations - they didn't have to learn English as a necessity when they moved here."

He added that with AI tools and online courses, residents "could learn easily."

Conservative councillor Sanjay Modhwadia, 59, echoed this point, explaining that older migrants once worked in local clothing factories where English was not required.

"They settle in North Evington, the reason why is we had a lot of clothing factories surrounding here. They used to work in the clothing factories where they don't need English because all of the workers used to work in the same language as other people," he said.

Cllr Modhwadia described the language gap between generations, explaining that older workers "didn't bother to learn English," but younger people are making the effort.

"Maybe in the next 10 years we will see that most of the people are talking English in the area because of the new generation," he added.

However, he acknowledged that local learning opportunities remain limited. "The government [sends] information that classes are going on, but maybe that is in English," he said. "There is a lack of education, so when the leaflet arrives, they don't bother to read it."

However, the issue is not unique to Leicester. Outside of North Evington, 28% of residents in the West Midlands town of Smethwick reported not speaking English well.

Similarly, in Elswick in Newcastle, nearly 27% can't speak English to a proficient level, and more than 26% of residents in a suburb of north Aldershot, Hampshire, cannot speak English well or at all.

In February, the UK Statistics Authority revealed that almost a million people in England cannot speak the English language to a basic level. In the 2021 census, 880,000 respondents said they could not speak English well, while 161,000 said they could not speak it at all.

Since 2011, the proportion of residents listing English as their main language has fallen from 92.3% to 91.1%. The most common alternatives are Polish, Romanian, Punjabi and Urdu. In England, the West Midlands has the highest proportion of Punjabi speakers.

Political scientist and migration expert Dr Mike Jones warned that the decline in English proficiency risks fuelling social division and straining public services.

"English is the entry ticket to British life. When migrants don't speak it, they end up stuck in low-paid jobs and cut off from the English-speaking majority. Communities turn inward, and what should be neighbourly contact too often hardens into tension," he told the Express.

He added that schools in particular face pressure: "Teachers say one of their biggest challenges isn't the curriculum but children who can't understand the lessons at all. Time and energy that should go into stretching the brightest is instead swallowed up by visual aids and hands-on support."

Public services also bear the burden, Dr Jones said. "Councils and hospitals spend vast sums on interpreters and translations, money that could otherwise go to frontline care. For taxpayers, it breeds resentment; for residents, it creates the unsettling sense that English is no longer the common tongue in parts of their own country."

Research shows that Brits see language as the key to integration in the UK. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford found that the majority of migrants themselves value English highly too. In 2021, nine million migrants in England and Wales reported speaking English without difficulty.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has warned that failure to learn English risks creating segregation.

"It is totally unacceptable for people to come here and not bother to learn English. Without people speaking English, ghettos develop and we have segregation," he said.

"The whole basis of our society and nation will break down - the government should end taxpayer-funded translation services and substantially increase the standards for English language tests before migrants can get visas to come here."

Mr Philp also called for stricter visa rules, insisting that migrants who arrive on work visas but do not contribute economically should not have their visas renewed. "They should be removed from the country when they expire," he added.

A tougher stance on English proficiency has gained traction across the political spectrum. Reform UK recently unveiled its immigration plan this month, which will reportedly save £230 billion, requiring higher standards of English to secure a visa.

The party, led by Nigel Farage, would scrap the current system of indefinite leave to remain, and replace it with a visa that people have to reapply for every five years. The new visa would not entitle people to claim benefits and would have tougher requirements, such as needing to earn a higher salary than they do now and a higher standard of English. They could also be refused a visa if they have any criminal convictions, have failed to pay taxes they owed or have claimed benefits.

Earlier this year, the Labour government unveiled plans to raise English language requirements across every immigration route to ensure those wishing to live and work in the UK speak a higher standard of English.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "For the first time this will also extend to all adult dependents by requiring them to demonstrate a basic understanding of English - helping individuals integrate into their local community, find employment and reducing the risk of exploitation and abuse."