Migration to Britain 1900-2010 Modern Summary Flashcards
Why did migrants come to Britain during WW1?
Immigration controls in the early 20th century such as the 1905 Aliens Act made it difficult for people to settle in Britain. One group which did manage to put down roots were immigrant seamen hired to work on merchant ships. This was a result of many white seamen being called to serve in the armed forces during World War One
During World War One, about 250,000 Belgian refugees came to Britain to escape German invasion. Most returned to Belgium after the war.
How were WW1 migrants treated?
In general Belgians were warmly received, although there were some tensions because some British people suffering hardship felt the refugees were living in better conditions than them. Resettlement centres were set up in places such as Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre and Alexandra Palace in London. Some went to live with families, while others went to live in specially built camps. There was even a purpose-built Belgian village in Tyne and Wear with its own school, shops and churches.
During World War One, A new law called the Alien Registration and British Nationality Act was brought in. All ‘aliens’ had to register at police stations and show knowledge of English. It also restricted where aliens could live and allowed for aliens to be deported. Germans and Austrians were seen as ‘enemy aliens,’ They were interned in camps and had their wealth seized by the government.
Following the First World War, the government extended the 1914 Registration Act and restricted which jobs aliens could do and banned them from going on strike. Soldiers returning to the port cities from the horrors of war were in conflict with Asian, Arab, West Indian and African seamen who had also been in the thick of war, bringing convoys of supplies across the Atlantic. Violent riots broke out in 1919 in Liverpool, Cardiff, Glasgow and South Shields. In some cases, mobs stirred up with racist taunts attacked the seamen’s lodging houses. In Liverpool, seaman Charles Wotten was stoned to death, then his body tied to an anchor chain and thrown into the docks.
What was the political impact of WW1 migration?
Millions of soldiers from across the British Empire served in the war including over 1 million Indians and troops from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the West Indies and Africa.
Black British soldiers from all walks of life served in the military such as Walter Tull, a professional footballer who became the first Black officer in the British army to command white troops. Despite this, Black soldiers were banned from taking part in victory parades in 1918.
What was the economic impact of WW1 migration?
Migrants in Britain working in factories, especially in munitions to provide weapons and ammunition to go to the front lines. Belgian female workers were paid the same as British women.
Why did migrants come to Britain between the world wars?
During this period there were less migrants coming to Britain. Despite this, some politicians and sections of the press continued to blame migrants for economic problems.
Ship owners continued to employ ‘coloured seamen’ as they were cheaper than White sailors.
When Jews were being persecuted in Nazi Germany and Austria following the rise of Hitler in 1933, human rights groups argued that the UK should take refugees and about 40,000 were accepted, although many more were refused. In 1938 and 1939, thanks to the work of campaigners, around 10,000 Jewish children came to safety in Britain from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia in what is known as the Kindertransport.
How were migrants treated between the world wars?
In 1925 the government introduced the Coloured Alien Seamen order which ordered all migrant seamen to register with the police. A ‘colour bar’ remained in reality, with non-white migrants facing discrimination. Hospitals refused to train black nurses and life could be difficult for children of mixed heritage. Organisations to combat racial discrimination started to emerge, such as the League of Coloured Peoples (LCP) set up by Dr Harold Moody.
Jewish refugee children were cared for by British families and although they had a variety of experiences, on the whole they were looked after well and accepted, although some right-wing politicians questioned their presence.
What was the political impact of migration between the world wars?
Many migrants were committed to anti-colonialism and worker rights. The pan-African independence movement held several conferences held in Britain between 1919 and 1939. Shapurji Sklatvala, an Indian British MP was jailed for giving speeches supporting striking coal miners in 1926.
What was the social/cultural impact of migration between the world wars?
During the height of the depression, the British Union of Fascists, led by Oswald Mosley, stirred up antisemitism. In 1936 around 100,000 people turned out out to stop a BUF march through London’s east End, which had a large Jewish population. A battle took place between protesters and the fascists (who were supported by the police) with 175 injuries and 100 arrests.
Why did migrants come to Britain in WW2?
After the Nazi invasion of Poland and during World War Two, some 160,000 Polish refugees arrived in Britain and many Poles served in the Allied armed forces. After the war, the 1947 Polish Resettlement Act allowed them to stay and be joined by their families.
How were migrants treated during WW2?
Germans and Italians were interned and some were sent by ship to Canada and Australia. In July 1940, a German submarine sank one of the ships, the Arandora Star, resulting in 805 deaths. The sinking of the Arandora Star and the ill treatment of internees on another ship, the Dunera, a week later led to an outcry in Parliament which resulted in the first releases of internees in August 1940. By 1942 fewer than 5,000 remained interned.
Bengali Lascars went on strike, demanding a pay rise. 310 lascars were jailed but eventually a 75% pay rise was agreed, although it was still less than ¼ of the wage of a white seaman.
Poles were treated sympathetically by the government as a result of their war record and were helped to find employment and reunite with their families.
What was the political impact of migration during WW2?
Migrants fought bravely in the armed forces, although several regiments had a colour bar and no Black people were allowed in the Royal Navy.
Around 14,000 Poles joined the RAF and were highly skilled. The Polish 303 squadron had the highest kill rate of any during the Battle of Britain.
What was the economic impact of migration during WW2?
As in World War One, migrants played an essential role, working in factories to provide munitions and other essential roles such as firemen and air-raid wardens. Merchant seamen shipped materials from across the world to Britain.
What was the social/cultural impact of migration during WW2?
Large numbers of Poles settled in Britain and integrated into British society, bringing their traditions and cuisine
Why did migrants from the commonwealth come to Britain?
After World War Two, a mass immigration of people coming to work in Britain began, to fill the labour demand and work in rebuilding Britain and staffing the NHS. Citizens of commonwealth countries were allowed to come and work in Britain. Many of the early arrivals were from the West Indies. The most famous arrival was of people from the Caribbean, mainly Jamaica and Trinidad, on the ship Empire Windrush in 1948. This is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the first arrival of black people in Britain.
As the UK economy picked up and then boomed in the late 1950s and 1960s, migrants from India, East and West Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana and many other Commonwealth countries came to work in the textile factories of the North of England and the engineering factories of the Midlands.
How were migrants in the commonwealth treated?
Migration from the Commonwealth after 1945
After World War Two, a mass immigration of people coming to work in Britain began, to fill the labour demand and work in rebuilding Britain and staffing the NHS. Citizens of commonwealth countries were allowed to come and work in Britain. Many of the early arrivals were from the West Indies. The most famous arrival was of people from the Caribbean, mainly Jamaica and Trinidad, on the ship Empire Windrush in 1948. This is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the first arrival of black people in Britain. As the UK economy picked up and then boomed in the late 1950s and 1960s, migrants from India, East and West Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana and many other Commonwealth countries came to work in the textile factories of the North of England and the engineering factories of the Midlands. Black people faced discrimination on a daily basis in all walks of life. Many hotels, bars and restaurants refused entry to Black people. Caribbean immigrants were normally given menial jobs and lived in the poorest areas of London and other big cities.. Newspapers such as the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, politicians such as the Fascist Oswald Mosley and some in the Labour and Conservative Parties stirred up anti-migrant sentiment. Black people were blamed for lowering wages and creating competition for jobs, especially during the late 1950s as the economy declined. There was a steep rise in racist attacks during the 1970s as the UK faced an economic depression with the murders of young Asian migrants in 1976 and 1978.
In 1958 There was major violence in Notting Hill (London) when a gang beat up 5 Black men with iron bars. There were also attacks on Black homes and shops with weapons such as petrol bombs. In May 1959 Kelso Cochrane, a 32-year-old Antiguan was attacked by a White gang and stabbed to death. However, over 1000 people lined the streets in a show of anti-racism.
In 1962 the Commonwealth Immigrants Act removed the right of Commonwealth passport holders to live and work in the UK and instead issued ‘work vouchers’. In 1968 the Commonwealth Immigrants Act further tightened controls, banning entry to anyone without a father or grandfather in the UK. This favoured white immigrants from Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In 1971 the Immigration Act replaced vouchers with work permits so staying in the country was only temporary.
However, a series of laws were introduced by Labour during the 1960s and 1970s to try and address racism and integrate society. The 1965 and 1968 Race Relations Acts made racial discrimination illegal in the workplace and housing. The 1976 Race Relations Act used the law to prevent racial discrimination, promote racial equality and raise public awareness of racial injustice.
