In the 1980s, Vietnamese refugees came to the wider Bideford / Barnstaple area.
Their descendants can still be found in North Devon.
The first Vietnamese family welcomed to Barnstaple were the Liu family, who arrived in 1981. There is also a Mr Liu recorded living in Bridgeland Street in the 2000’s – but it is not known if the families are connected!
More recently, refugees from the Middle East and from other conflict areas have also come to live in Bideford and the surrounding areas.