Migration in Britain Flashcards
When did the ship Empire Windrush arrive in England?
22 June 1948
How many people were on board the Empire Windrush and from where?
492 people from the Caribbean.
What had the Caribbean region become part of?
The Commonwealth.
When had the Caribbean fought for Britain?
During the First and Second World Wars.
When was the British Nationality Act?
1948
What was the British Nationality Act?
It gave all 800 million Commonwealth citizens the chance to come to the ‘mother country’ and gain full British citizenship.
What happened as a result of the British Nationality Act?
Many decided to take the opportunity. During the 1950s, more people arrived from the Caribbean and from Asia.
What 3 main reasons encouraged immigrants to come to Britain?
Shortage of labour, opportunity and loans for transport.
How had loans for transport encouraged immigrants to Britain?
It was easy for people to emigrate to Britain: their governments gave out interest-free loans so they could afford the ship fare.
How had shortage of labour encouraged immigrants to come to Britain?
There was a shortage of labour for low paid and unskilled jobs in Britain. The British government was trying to rebuild the country after the war, and needed people to fill these jobs.
Give an example of shortage of labour after the war?
London transport, which recruited people from Barbados and Jamaica to drive buses and trains.
Furthermore, why had Britain wanted to fill jobs with people from Barbados and Jamaica?
Britain wanted to secure the loyalty of these countries in case they were needed again.
What did British companies hold which created opportunities for immigrant?
Recruitment fairs.
What had recruitment fairs meant for immigrants?
Before even leaving home, immigrants had secured a job. The opportunities seemed endless.
Where were immigrants mostly placed?
Where they were needed for work.
What had the surge of young black men into communities caused?
Some resentment. Most white people moved out to other areas, and where white residents remained there was segregation.
What was ‘white-flight’?
when most white people moved out to other areas when there was a surge of young black men into communities.
Name a group of young white men who felt the young immigrants were stealing ‘their women’:
The Teddy Boys.
When were the Notting hill Riots in London?
1958.
Where had many doctors arrived from?
The Indian subcontinent.
Where were new doctors employed?
The New National Health Service.
What 2 factors caused many Asian immigrants to form their own communities and start their own businesses?
-Language barriers
-Religious differences
What was a big problem for all immigrant communities?
Overcrowding.
Why had overcrowding become a problem in immigrant communities?
Many landlords refused to let them rent their accommodation.
What had local authorities tried to stop?
They tried to stop black and Asian people renting houses in particular areas.
Name a high-profile case of local authorities stopping black and Asian people renting houses:
In Smethwick, Birmingham, black and Asian residents got the support of Malcom X, who visited the area in 1965 as a protest against the housing policy towards immigrants
Give an example of contradiction regarding Britain protecting its people:
The British had boasted about their fight against the Nazis in the Second World War. They were proud they had defeated fascism and racism, however many groups experienced discrimination in Britain in the following decades.
Give 3 examples of how relations between immigrant groups and white residents were not good by the end of the Notting Hill Riots in 1958:
-Factory owners were increasingly reluctant to employ black workers
-Segregation became an even bigger problem in housing, employment and even the social lives of this new community
-There was a general feeling that immigrants settling in major cities needed to stop
How had the number of total immigrants changed from 1956 to 1962?
In 1956 there were 34,000, in 1962 there were 82,000.
Which year had seen the highest number of immigrants in Britain?
In 1961 there were 112,000 immigrants in total.
What were the government’s 2 main aims in response to the problems?
1) To restrict the number of immigrants coming into the country
2) To tackle the racial discrimination that had developed
What was the government’s first response?
The Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962
What was the Commonwealth Immigrants Act?
It controlled the immigration of all Commonwealth passport holders, except the British. It controlled the movement of people by stating that immigrants now needed to apply for a work voucher before they came to Britain.
