Why do political refugees choose to remain in the country of exile instead of returning home even after political conditions safely allow them to make a come back? To what extent does a political exile manage to integrate into the land in which the asylum is permanently sought? This paper draws on first hand data to analyse the social integration of a segment of the Chilean exiles community in London after 1998, the year of the detention of General Pinochet. The point of departure is the social meaning of ‘exile', a time of prolonged absence from the land of origin. Once this meaning is assessed, the framework of reference is almost self-defined. Several variables are considered in the appraisal of the transition and integration of the exile: local policies regarding asylum-seekers, globalisation, political commitment, urban milieu, occupation in the land of exile, family unit, peers, household.