Experiences of Migrants to Britain

What was the experience of migrants to Britain?

Migrants to Britain after the Second World War have had a mixture of experiences, both good and bad. In many cases they have assimilated into British society, but they have also faced discrimination and violence.

What was the experience of migrants in Britain in the 1950s?

Although there were many jobs for the migrants in the 1950s, there was also a lot of discrimination and violence.

• ❖ There were jobs, especially low-skilled manual work, in public transport, building, and construction. However, if there were job cutbacks, they were the first to be fired.
• ❖ There were no job opportunities in retail, where they would have direct contact with the public.
• ❖ There was outright racial discrimination in housing, and black people were banned from renting rooms in many places.
• ❖ By 1958 there was mounting resentment from some white British groups towards the West Indians. White gangs targeted black men, especially those who were seen in relationships with white women.
• ❖ Violence broke out in Nottingham and Notting Hill (in West London), in the riots of 1958.

What was the experience of migrants in Britain in the 1960s?

The 1960s saw more efforts to improve the lives of immigrants in Britain. However, the government also tried to reduce immigration, and there was rising protest against the number of migrants in the country.

• ❖ In 1962 the British Government passed the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, to reduce immigration to Britain. British subjects from the Commonwealth and Empire no longer had the automatic right to settle in the UK.
• ❖ In 1963, the Bristol Bus Boycott was organised to protest against the local bus company's unequal recruitment policy towards black people. The bus company ended racial discrimination in its recruitment policy.
• ❖ Following the Bristol Bus Boycott, the government introduced the Race Relations Act in 1965, which outlawed certain aspects of race discrimination.
• ❖ A further act was passed in 1968, extending the anti-discrimination law to housing and jobs.
• ❖ In 1968, MP Enoch Powell gave his 'Rivers of Blood' speech, which warned of violence if immigration continued. This shocked many, and he was sacked from the Government. However, opinion polls showed that 75% of British people supported his views.

What was the experience of migrants in Britain in the 1970s?

In the 1970s, demonstrations against immigrants increased, and more measures were put in place to reduce immigration. At the same time, Britain acted on its obligations to allow former subject peoples to migrate to Britain.

• ❖ In 1971, a new Immigration Act stated that only 'partials' (people born in the UK, or who had at least one parent or grandparent born in the UK) could migrate to Britain. This excluded many non-white migrants.
• ❖ Despite this, the government allowed around 29,000 Ugandan Asians to come to Britain after they were ejected from Uganda by Idi Amin, even though they were not patrials.
• ❖ However, Britain was facing a tough time, economically. Housing was limited and unemployment was high. The arrival of the Ugandan Asians prompted anti-immigration demonstrations.
• ❖ Right-wing groups such as the National Front (NF) grew, organising demonstrations and causing trouble in areas with diverse populations. There was a lot of violence against immigrants.

What was the experience of migrants in Britain in the 1980s?

The 1980s saw increased protest about the way the police treated black British people, which led to accusations of institutional racism.

• ❖ In the 1980s there was anger against the police, who appeared to target and harass black men unfairly.
• ❖ In 1981 there were serious riots in Brixton (South London) against the police use of the 'sus' law, which allowed them to stop and search anyone they suspected of committing a crime.
• ❖ Later in 1981, the government repealed the 'sus' law.
• ❖ However, distrust in the police continued, and culminated in 1993, after the murder of Stephen Lawrence, with accusations of institutional racism in the police.