Mirpur in Azad Kashmir is called Little England because so many of its families have members in Britain, and because seventy years of migration and money sent home have shaped the city: large new houses, a busy property market, and shops where the pound sterling is accepted. The movement began with men working on British ships in the 1940s, grew in the 1950s, and accelerated in the 1960s when the Mangla Dam drowned old Mirpur.
This guide tells that story in order and explains what it means for what you see in the city today.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Southern Azad Kashmir, on the Mangla reservoir, about 130 km by road from Islamabad |
| Population | 124,352 (2017 census), second city of Azad Kashmir |
| Trigger for mass migration | Mangla Dam, built from 1961 and opened in 1967 |
| Displaced by the dam | Over 110,000 people; old Mirpur, Dadyal and over 280 villages submerged |
| Moved to Britain after displacement | Up to about 5,000 people, roughly 5% of those displaced |
| Share of British Pakistanis with Mirpur roots | Commonly estimated at 60 to 80% in England; no exact figure exists |
| Main UK centres | Birmingham, Bradford, London, Manchester, Leeds, Luton, Blackburn |
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How it unfolded: a timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| About 1640 | Mirpur founded under Mughal rule |
| 1940s | Mirpuri men working on British merchant ships begin settling in Britain |
| 1950s | More men follow for unskilled work in British mills and factories |
| 1961 | Construction of the Mangla Dam begins on the Jhelum |
| 1967 | Dam opens; the reservoir floods old Mirpur, Dadyal and surrounding villages |
| 1960s and 1970s | Compensation money and family networks speed up migration |
| 2004 to 2009 | Mangla Dam raised by 30 feet, affecting more than 40,000 more people |
| 2021 | UK census counts 1.66 million people of Pakistani ethnicity |
Before the dam: ships and mills
The migration did not start with Mangla. Some Mirpuri men found work as crew on British merchant navy ships, and by the 1940s a few had settled in Britain. In the 1950s others followed, mostly for unskilled work in British industry.
Those early arrivals mattered more than their numbers. They gave later migrants an address, a job lead and a bed, which is how chain migration works everywhere.
The dam that flooded the old city
The Mangla Dam was built from 1961 and opened in 1967. It was designed by the British engineering firm Binnie and Partners and built by a consortium of American contractors. Its reservoir submerged the old town of Mirpur, the town of Dadyal and more than 280 villages, displacing over 110,000 people. Old Mirpur had stood for more than three centuries: it was founded around 1640, and one local account takes the name from two holy men, Mira Shah Ghazi ("Mir") and Gosain Bodhpuri ("pur").
A new town was built above the waterline to resettle them, and that is the Mirpur visitors see now. Up to about 5,000 of the displaced, around 5%, went to Britain, helped by work permits, compensation money and relatives already there. Our guide to the old, submerged Mirpur city covers what reappears from the lake in dry winters.
The dam was raised by 30 feet between 2004 and 2009, adding storage and displacing a second generation: more than 40,000 people were affected, and new resettlement towns were planned around the city.
How many British Pakistanis come from Mirpur?
Nobody knows exactly. The UK census records ethnicity, not district of origin, and counted 1.66 million people of Pakistani ethnicity in 2021, including about 195,000 in Birmingham and 140,000 in Bradford. Researchers commonly estimate that 60 to 80% of British Pakistanis in England have roots in Mirpur and the neighbouring Kotli and Bhimber districts. Treat that as a well-supported estimate rather than a count.
What is clear is the concentration: a small district of Azad Kashmir became the origin of one of the largest communities of South Asian descent in Britain.
What it looks like in Mirpur today
The "Little England" label describes a layer of the city, not its everyday character. Mirpur is a Kashmiri city first, where people speak Mirpuri Pahari and Urdu. But visitors from elsewhere in Pakistan do notice:
- Large houses, many built or extended with money earned in Britain.
- A property and construction economy out of proportion to the city's size.
- Sterling in the shops: many shops accept pounds as well as rupees.
- British accents, above all in the British school holidays.
- British products on shop shelves that are harder to find elsewhere in the region.
When the British connection is most visible
Families with children in British schools can usually travel only in the holidays, so the diaspora side of Mirpur is most visible in the long British summer break, roughly late July to early September. The trade-off is the weather: Mirpur's mean daily high is about 41°C in June, and the monsoon rains arrive in July and August.
For sightseeing in comfort, October to March is better: the days are mild and the lakeside is pleasant for walking.
Getting there
Mirpur is about 130 km from central Islamabad by road, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes on OSRM routing via the GT Road and Dina, before traffic. From Lahore it is about 220 km, around three hours. Jhelum is 42 km away, and Dina, where you leave the GT Road, is 28 km. The nearest airports are Islamabad, about 153 km and two and a half hours, and Sialkot, about 124 km and two hours. Our guides to Islamabad to Mirpur and Lahore to Mirpur cover the routes.
Why this matters for visitors
Knowing the story changes how the city reads. The new town is where it is because the old one is under the lake. The big houses reflect income earned some 6,000 km away rather than a local boom. And conversations often turn to a cousin in Bradford or an uncle in Birmingham.
For the sights themselves, our guide to places to visit in Mirpur and our Mangla Dam guide cover the lake, Ramkot and Mangla forts and the shrine at Khari Sharif. Our Kashmir destination page covers the rest of Azad Kashmir.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Mirpur called Little England?
Because a large share of its families have relatives in Britain, a link going back to the 1940s that grew after the Mangla Dam flooded old Mirpur in the 1960s. British money, products and visiting families are visible across the city, and many shops accept pounds sterling.
How many people were displaced by the Mangla Dam?
Over 110,000 people when the reservoir filled in the 1960s, from old Mirpur, Dadyal and more than 280 villages. Raising the dam between 2004 and 2009 affected more than 40,000 more.
Did the British build the Mangla Dam?
It was designed by a British firm, Binnie and Partners, but built by a consortium of American contractors for Pakistan. The migration link to Britain came through earlier settlers and family networks.
What percentage of British Pakistanis are from Mirpur?
There is no official figure. Researchers commonly estimate 60 to 80% of British Pakistanis in England have roots in Mirpur and the nearby Kotli and Bhimber districts.
Is Mirpur safe to visit?
Mirpur is far from the Line of Control, and the everyday hazards are summer heat and traffic. Azad Kashmir saw deadly protests and long internet shutdowns from June 2026, and the UK advises against all but essential travel to most of the territory. Check current news before you travel, and see our guide to Azad Kashmir safety.
