Immigration Flashcards
Explain the level of black and white integration during WWI/post WWI
- During WWI - 1/3 of men that fought were made up of black and Asian colonial troops
- Over a million Indian soldiers fighting in Europe and the Middle East
- After WWI - Increase in racist violence - White workers attempting to stop black and Asian workers from taking ‘British jobs’
- Widespread discrimination
Name and explain the ‘Alien Laws’
- 1920 Alien Orders Act - Required migrant workers to register with the police before seeking work, those that didn’t would be deported
- 1925 Special Restrictions Act - Forced foreign seamen to prove their British citizenship to immigration authorities, or would face deportation
Explain the level of black and white integration during the Interwar Years
- Number of groups fighting for the rights of black, Asian and Jewish workers increased
- Communist Party of GB had a high membership from ethnic minority groups, thus seemed as though they represented many radical immigrants - organised regional strikes in response to the National Union of Seamen’s racist policies - unsuccessful
- Small group of people of ethnic minority backgrounds were educated in Britain’s top universities
- Many students established groups to campaign for equal rights
Explain the SS Empire Windrush, and name the year
1948
- Carried 100s of passengers from the Caribbean hoping for a new life in Britain
- Majority on board were male
- All had varied skills - looking for jobs
- '’Happy-go-lucky’’ environment on the ship
Due to what act was the Windrush possible?
1948 British Nationality Act
- People were now allowed to settle in Britain, and will be considered British citizens
Name the problems with immigration (race riots included)
- Immigrants often found themselves in the poorest accommodation in the worst areas
- ‘Colour Bar’ - landlords wouldn’t rent to immigrants and employers wouldn’t hire immigrants
- TU failed to support immigrant workers
- Many race riots:
Notting Hill Riots 1958
Crowd of up to 1k black and white youths who fought each other, resulted in stabbings
Few days later, gangs of 300/400 white men armed with weapons attacked local black people and their homes and businesses
Riots lasted 2 weeks - 140 arrested - complaints that police took too long to react
Name the MP who was openly racist and performed a speech
Enoch Powell
- Conservative MP
- 1968 Rivers of Blood speech - warned of what he considered would be the consequences of continued unchecked immigration
- Speech led to him being removed from Heath’s cabinet
What did the Conservatives do in the 60s when attempting to gain voters? (Racist)
For the 1964 General Election, the Conservative Party used propaganda for votes - stated that the Tories would rid of members of the Commonwealth
Were the issues of race division worsening in the 60s? (Race Relations Acts)
- 1967 National Front formed
+ 1965 - Became illegal to deny people access to services and public places on the basis of race
+ 1968 - Outlawed racial discrimination in housing and employment
+ 1976 - Indirect discrimination was outlawed
+ Notting Hill Carnival took place in 1976 - celebration of Caribbean culture - Riots took place in the Carnival due to tensions developed between the police and young black people
Name the 3 ‘Immigration Acts’
- Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962
Designed to end large-scale immigration and rid of a multi-cultural society - people could only enter if they had a job waiting for them - Commonwealth Immigration Act 1968
Children of migrants living in Britain who were over 17 were denied entry to Britain - Immigration Act 1971
- Introduced 2 largely racial categories into British law:
Partial - People born in UK, or have a parent born in the UK
Non-Partial - People born outside of the UK, and their parents too
Non-Partials had strict controls - no right of entry - those who had lived in the UK for less than 10 years could be deported
All acts received widespread public support
