1900-present Flashcards
(48 cards)
How did the world wars influence migration to England?
-1905 Alien’s Act was suspended to allow migrants into the country
-Polish people decided to remain in England after 1945 because Poland had become a Communist state: lots of Eastern European countries had been taken over by Stalin in his ‘Soviet Sphere of Influence’ so England was regarded as a place of security
-lots of work was available- reparations after bomb damage
-Government encouraged migration from the colonies especially those from the Caribbean to work for transport or the NHS (1948 launch)
-Kindertransport: between 1938 and 39, over 8,000 Jewish children migrated to escape persecution from Nazis
During ww1, how many Belgians fled to England?
250,000
During WW2, how many Polish people fled to England?
160,000
When was the British Nationality Act established and how did it increase migration?
The British Nationality Act was established in 1981 and allowed people from former colonies and Commonwealth countries full citizenship in England. This influenced migration as lots of people were experiencing an abuse of their rights in their countries
Why did people from India and Pakistan migrate?
in Pakistan, after gaining independence, there was religious turmoil between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims- led to partition of India into India and Pakistan which was very violent
Why did people from Kenya migrate?
-large Asian population: four years after independence, President Jomo Kenyatta asked all Asians in Kenya to choose between being Kenyan and British
-non-Kenyans could remain only on a temporary basis
-by 1968, 20,000 had migrated and settled in England
Why did people from Uganda migrate to England?
-gained independence in 1962- leader carried out policies which violently discriminated against Asians
- Idi Amin ordered expulsion of Asian community in Kenya apart from professionals who greatly benefitted economy
-British government offered Asians in Uganda either an Indian or a British passport if they wanted to leave: 27,000 chose to go to Britain
How did Britain’s membership of the EU influence migration?
-gave EU citizens the right to enter Britain
-after 2004, 9 Eastern European states joined encouraging thousands to migrate to find work that was better paid than in their own country
Why were levels of Irish migration particularly high?
-Irish citizens were exempt from the 1905 Aliens Act and were allowed to migrate to Britain after the Republic of Ireland became independent in 1922
-pre-established community aided integration
How did the signing of the United Nations Convention on Refugees in 1951 influence migration?
-act agreed to offer asylum to people facing persecution
What were the experiences of Belgian migrants during WW1?
-60,000 worked in Britain during the war- some set up businesses and many worked in munitions factories helping with the war effort
-in 1918, the British government helped 80% return home
What were the experiences of Indian and Chinese lascars in WW1?
-many jobs in Britain had been filled by migrants and by 1918, returning servicemen wanted their old jobs back
- tensions ran highest in dockyards where companies were keen to keep migrants employed as they worked for low wages
-in protest, riots broke out: in Cardiff, the mayor called for all the lascars to be ‘sent back from where they came from’
What were the experiences of Germans in WW1?
-classed as ‘enemy aliens’
-media ran anti-German campaigns in newspapers
-German businesses were attacked in Liverpool, Manchester and London
-German foods such as sausages were taken off sale
-many German men were interned (held as a prisoner) and the men who failed to report to the police were deported (29,000)
Which act gave Poles the right to remain in England?
-in 1947, the Polish Resettlement Act gave Poles the right to stay in England- 120,000 decided to stay
What were the experiences of Chinese migrants in WW2?
-continued to work in the merchant navy; they helped with the war effort by ensuring Britain received food and fuel
-By 1945, the government wanted to free up homes for returning soldiers- 2,000 Chinese sailors in Liverpool were forced to return to China
-families were given no notice and their wives and children remained in Liverpool and experienced poverty and racism
What were the experiences of Germans and Italians during WW2?
-tribunals were arranged to decide if any German migrant was a threat
-they generally received support: most German migrants were Jewish refugees escaping the Nazi regime
-out of 35,000 men who were sent to a tribunal, only 348 were actually interned
When and what political party was formed by Oswald Mosley?
He founded the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932
What ideologies did the BUF endorse?
they shared many fascist ideas with the Nazi Party in Germany especially ant-Semitist views and views against immigrants
Where did they gain popularity and why?
They gained popularity in places of high unemployment and high immigration as people believed that work should be reserved for the British and argued that migrants were taking ‘their’ jobs
Where did the BUF target to carry out protests, can you name a significant march they arranged?
-they targeted Jewish areas of the East End of London
-in 1936, 100,000 people (Jews, Irish and British workers) marched in Cable Street, Whitechapel to stop a BUF protest
-6,000 police cleared route for BUF and violence broke out
-100 arrests
When did they split up and who took their place?
-they split up in 1940 and following in their footsteps, the National Front emerged in 1967- similarly opposed immigration
When did Enoch Powell make his famous speech and what was it called?
The ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech was made in 1968. He criticised immigration, especially from the Commonwealth, and called for immigrants to be ‘sent back’
When was the British National Party founded?
It was founded in 1982- members opposed non-white immigration to Britain
When did the Brixton Riots occur?
1981
