Uk Immigration Short

UK: IMMIGRATION AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Immigration in the 1950s

Britain in need of cheap labour after WWII

Entry from Commonwealth countries easy

Mass immigration

First: West Indies

Next: Indian subcontinent

1950s, 1960s and1970s

1954: Non-white population a few thousand

Mass immigration and growing prejudice

Riots as white people fear the arrival of a black community

1962: The Commonwealth Immigration Act passed by the Conservative government  Commonwealth immigrants entering Britain must have employment or be able to offer required skills

Laws follow in 1968/ 71 further restricting entry for non-whites

1970: 1.4 million (1/3 born in Britain)

1980s

Strict controls on entry

State attempts to protect the rights of ethnic minorities

Riots sparked by racial issues

Scarman report concludes: ”racial disadvantage is a fact of current British life”

1987-2000

1987: four non-white MPs elected

2000: anti-discrimination legislation

Growth of asylum seeker applications  growth of immigration

Rise in racial tensions

2001: 9-11

Bombs on London public transport 2005

These tragedies lead to a further rise in racial tensions

2001 Census Ethnic group Number Percent of pop. Indian 1,053,411 1.8 Pakistani 747,285 1.3 Bangladeshi 283,063 0.5 Ohter Asian 247,644 0.4 Black Caribbean 565,876 1.0 Black African 485,277 0.8 Black (others) 97,585 0.2 Chinese 247,403 0.4 Mixed race 677,117 1.2

Sources