Why did immigration to Britain increase after World War Two?

1. Why did immigration to Britain increase after World War Two?

2. Objectives In this activity you will: • Understand why people migrated to Britain. • Understand the causes and consequences of immigration.

3. Why did immigration to Britain increase after World War Two? Background • In 1948, the Empire Windrush ship brought 492 immigrants from the West Indies to Britain. • Many of these men had servedin the British Army during World War Two. • The numbers of immigrants peaked in the period 1955-1962.

4. Why did immigration to Britain increase after World War Two? Causes of immigration can be divided into push and pull factors. A pull factor is something that makes a country attractive to live in and encourages emigration, for example better jobs or climate. A push factor is something that makes people want to leave the country of their birth, for example high unemployment or poverty. • In pairs, think of somewhere in the world where you would like to move to. • Now try and think of one push factor and one pull factor for why you’d want to move there.

5. Diversity and the Industrial Revolution Many immigrants came from Jamaica in the late 1940s and 1950s. In pairs, write down at least one possible push and one pull factor. Push factors? Pull factors? Now read the next two slides and explain on the diagram what you think is the most important push and most important pull factor.

6. Pull factors • In 1948, the British Government passed the Nationality Act. • This Act gave people British citizenship to millions of people in the Commonwealth. • The Commonwealth was an association of Britain and its former colonies, which were now independent, eg Australia. • Their British passports gave them the right to move to Britain. • After World War Two, Britain needed more workers, especially within the railways. • The wages offered were often more than those which immigrants could earn within their own countries.

7. Push factors • Many people from the West Indies and India wanted to emigrate to Britain in the late 1940s and 1950s. • In Jamaica in 1944, a severe hurricane destroyed much of the country. • Jobs in Jamaica were hard to find. • In 1947, the British left India and severe fighting broke out between Muslims and Hindus. • Many tried to leave India and Pakistan for Britain, to seek safer lives for their families.

8. What were the consequences of immigration? Read the points below. Identify and explain what you consider to be the most important negative and positive consequence of immigration. Positive • Many immigrants found jobs. • Jobs often paid more, compared to where they had come from. • In the 1960s, the British Government passed laws to stop discrimination within work. • In the long term, many immigrants settled successfully within Britain. • Many successful British sports men and women are of Afro-Caribbean descent. • Afro-Caribbean music, such as Reggae is very popular. Negative • Discrimination and prejudice against immigrants was common. • Climate – much colder in Britain. • Difficult to find housing in Britain, especially after the Blitz of WWII. • Cities such as London saw the emergence of Ghettoes. • Many immigrants had to accept low-paid jobs. • In 1958, the African Caribbean population of Notting Hill rioted due to racist attacks from whites.