The Angolan diaspora in the United Kingdom should play an increasingly active role in Angola’s economic and social development. The appeal was made by Angola’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland, José Patrício, during an outreach and consultation visit to the Angolan communities in Coventry and Birmingham on 21 and 22 August.
Speaking to community members, association leaders, businesspeople and Angolan professionals, the diplomat stressed that the knowledge, professional experience and skills acquired by the diaspora should be harnessed for the benefit of Angola.
For José Patrício, the time has come for the diaspora to “enter the statistics”, referring to the need to better understand its size, capabilities and potential contribution to national development.
The Ambassador also called on Angolan families in the United Kingdom to play an active role in preventing crime by encouraging young people to stay away from criminal activities and focus on education, professional training and building a positive future.
Coventry: Knowledge, Investment and Connection to the Homeland
In Coventry, José Patrício highlighted the need for Angola to mobilise the knowledge and efforts of all its citizens to drive national economic development.
According to the diplomat, the country should continue to pursue economic diversification, with particular attention to sectors such as tourism and agriculture.
During the meeting, the President of the main Angolan Association in Coventry, Emanuel Matias Sebastião, presented the organisation’s portfolio of projects and initiatives, focusing on the promotion of cultural and patriotic values, community cohesion and solidarity among Angolans.
Emanuel Matias Sebastião also highlighted the community’s contribution to British society, stressing that Angolans living in Coventry are legal workers and actively participate in the social life of the city.
One of the issues raised with the diplomatic mission was the need to establish housing finance mechanisms specifically designed for the diaspora, enabling Angolans living abroad to purchase property in Angola.
The proposal also seeks to encourage diaspora savings to be invested in Angola’s property market, countering the tendency to purchase property in other countries, particularly Portugal.
It was also revealed that CAARU representatives are working with Angolan banking institutions to develop mechanisms that facilitate the transfer of money to Angola and strengthen the financial connection between the diaspora and the homeland.
Embassy Pledges to Follow Up on Community Concerns
José Patrício listened to and recorded the main concerns raised by the community, expressing his willingness, within the scope of his responsibilities, to advocate for and refer these matters to the relevant institutions.
For participants, the presence of the Head of Mission represented an important sign of closer engagement between the Angolan State and Angolans living in the United Kingdom.
The Coventry meeting concluded with a celebration featuring Angolan food, music and dancing, including performances by two Angolan musicians based in the United Kingdom.
Birmingham Focuses on Community Unity
In Birmingham, one of the largest concentrations of the Angolan community in the West Midlands, the central message was the need to strengthen unity, organisation and cohesion among Angolans.
The community committed itself to strengthening its organisational structures and creating the conditions for more effective and organised community representation.
During the meeting, several members of the community shared their professional, academic and business experiences, reaffirming their connection to Angola and their willingness to contribute to the country’s development.
The consultation visit brought together several community leaders, including the presidents of the Confederation of Angolan Associations in the United Kingdom (CAARU), the Angolan Association of Leeds, Angolan Women Voice and the Union of Angolans in the United Kingdom (UARU), as well as businesspeople and other community representatives.
A New Chapter in the Relationship with the Diaspora
José Patrício’s mission to Coventry and Birmingham comes at a time when Angolan communities in the United Kingdom are seeking to strengthen their internal organisation while also developing closer mechanisms for participation in Angola’s economic and social life.
By arguing that the knowledge of the diaspora should be used for the benefit of Angola, the Ambassador has placed an increasingly important question at the centre of the discussion: how can the experience, human capital and resources of Angolans abroad be transformed into concrete instruments for national development?
The message delivered during the two meetings was clear: the diaspora should not be viewed merely as a source of remittances, but also as a reservoir of knowledge, skills, investment, entrepreneurship and international experience that can contribute to Angola’s transformation.
The Ambassador was accompanied on the mission by the Ambassador’s wife, Maria Dolores Patrício, and diplomats from the Angolan Diplomatic Mission in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
For Coventry and Birmingham, the meetings represented more than consultation sessions. They were also an opportunity to reaffirm Angolans’ connection to their homeland and renew the commitment to building communities that are more united, organised and capable of playing an active role in Angola’s future.