Immigration to Britain in the 20th Century (AQA GCSE History)

Summary 

When the Second World War ended in 1945, large parts of many British cities had been bombed to ruins. Britain had not been alone in the fight against Nazi Germany and had called on the countries of its Empire to help. When the fighting stopped and the time came to rebuild Britain, people from these colonies were again asked to help. The higher wages and opportunities in Britain greatly appealed to many people in the West Indies and Indian Subcontinent. Over 200,000 people had moved to Britain by 1958. 

Many people in Britain did not welcome their arrival. Many immigrants faced racism, prejudice, discrimination and violence. Unease amongst many British voters about the arrival of large numbers of immigrants from the former colonies led to the government passing several acts to restrict immigration.

Why did immigration increase after the First & Second World Wars?

• During both World Wars, British forces included soldiers from British colonies such as India (which at this time included Pakistan and Bangladesh), South Africa, Canada and the Caribbean

  • In the First World War, over 2.5 million soldiers came from the British colonies

  • In the Second World War, it was over 4.5 million soldiers

Shortage of workers

• At the end of the Second World War, Britain needed to rebuild 

• The country faced a shortage of people willing to work unskilled and low-paid jobs

• As a result, the government passed the British Nationality Act in 1948

  • This gave people from the former empire (known as the Commonwealth) the right to work in the UK

• Adverts were placed in Commonwealth countries asking for people to work in Britain’s hospitals, factories and transport networks

Why did people want to move to Britain?

• The wages in Britain were far higher than those available in the Caribbean, Pakistan, India or Bangladesh

• Many people in Commonwealth countries had been educated to have a favourable opinion of Britain and viewed it as the ‘Mother Country’

Increase in immigration

• In 1948, the ship Empire Windrush, which carried almost 500 Caribbean immigrants arrived at the Port of Tilbury in London

  • This is seen as the start of Britain’s post-war migration boom

• Over the next 10 years, over 200,000 Commonwealth citizens moved to Britain

• Additionally, more than 220,000 Polish people, who had fled the Nazi invasion of their country in the Second World War, were allowed to stay in Britain

The experience of 20th century immigrants

• Despite being invited to come and work in Britain, many immigrant workers suffered from discrimination

• The migrant workers struggled to find housing 

  • Often they had to pay high rents to live in the worst parts of town

  • Banks refused to lend them money, so they were unable to buy houses

  • This led to unofficial segregation and the creation of ‘Black Areas’

• Racist attitudes were widespread both at work and in wider society

  • Many of the initial immigrants were young single men who had moved to build lives for themselves

    • This led many white British men to believe that the black Caribbean immigrants had come to take ‘their women’ which resulted in conflict and violence

• Some companies, such as the Bristol Omnibus Company, enforced a colour bar and refused to employ black and Asian workers

  • Despite the discrimination, many immigrants played a vital role in the establishment of the NHS 

  • Others built highly successful businesses and made great contributions to their communities and the British economy

The Notting Hill Riots, 1958

• Many of the immigrants were single young men who had arrived in Britain to make a better life for themselves

• Their arrival was often resented by the poor, white working class men who believed that the immigrants were:

  • Stealing their jobs 

  • Driving down wages

• Existing residents often moved out of areas where immigrants settled in what became known as ‘white flight’

• In the Notting Hill area of London, Caribbean immigrants were often attacked by gangs of white youths, known as Teddy Boys

  • These youths sometimes belonged to racist organisations such as the White Defence League

  • At the end of August 1958, hundreds of Teddy Boys joined anti-immigrant riots and attacked both immigrants and the properties in Notting Hill

Enoch Powell & government reform to immigration

• The riots in Notting Hill and racial tensions across Britain led to the government introducing laws to try to reduce immigration numbers

• The Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962 required immigrants to apply for a voucher before they could work in Britain

• The rules were further tightened in 1968

  • It became law that only those who had parents or grandparents who were UK citizens were permitted to move to work in Britain

• Many people saw the government reforms as being racist and unfair, but they reflected the wishes of a large section of British society who supported Enoch Powell

Enoch Powell’s speech

• Powell was a Conservative MP 

• He made headlines for his ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in 1968 which claimed immigration threatened British identity and would end in violence

  • In one section, Powell claimed: 

• The speech was extremely controversial

• It led to Powell being immediately sacked as Shadow Defence Secretary by the Conservative Party

Support for Powell

• Powell’s ideas gained a lot of support from some of the British population

• Support for his ideas and the idea of white superiority became known as Powellism

• Belief in Powellism led to an increase in support for the racist National Front organisation 

  • The National Front argued for the repatriation of all non-white people to the country of their parent’s or grandparent’s birth

• The Immigration Act of 1971 reflected the popularity of Powellism by tightening immigration rules even more

  • It made residence in Britain temporary for immigrant workers and enabled voluntary repatriation