Immigration

What happened with immigration to Britain after the Second World War?

Immigration to Britain increased significantly following the Second World War and the British Nationality Act 1948.

Why did immigration to Britain increase after the Second World War?

There were three key reasons:

• ❖ The British Nationality Act 1948 meant that any citizen of the Commonwealth could claim British citizenship.
• ❖ There was unemployment in their countries and they filled a shortage of labour in low paid, unskilled jobs in Britain.
• ❖ Many companies, including the NHS, offered them a secure job before they even left for Britain.

Where did migrants to Britain come from after the Second World War?

Migrants came from the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, Cyprus and other Commonwealth countries.

Who were the Windrush migrants to Britain after the Second World War?

Caribbean immigrants to Britain after the Second World War are sometimes known as the 'Windrush generation'. This is because the ship, Empire Windrush, brought one of the first groups of post-war Caribbean immigrants to Britain from Jamaica.

What problems were caused by immigration to Britain after the Second World War?

Immigration led to 4 key problems in Britain:

• ❖ Some white people moved out of the areas that the immigrants settled in, this was known as 'white-flight'.
• ❖ Segregation led to violence, such as the riots in Notting Hill in 1958 and later in Brixton.
• ❖ Overcrowding was a problem for all immigrant communities as many landlords refused to rent their accomodation to immigrants.
• ❖ Discrimination and racism towards the immigrants led to anger.

Who was opposed to immigration to Britain after the Second World War?

Many people were opposed to immigration, such as politicians like Enoch Powell and extremist groups such as the National Front.

What did the government do about immigration to Britain after the Second World War?

The government did 3 key things to try and solve the problems:

• ❖ They reduced immigration through a series of Commonwealth Immigrants Acts. These reversed the British Nationality Act.
• ❖ They introduced a series of Race Relations Acts to outlaw discrimination.
• ❖ They set up the Scarman Report following the Brixton Riots.