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 CensusEthnic group Number Percent of

pop.Indian 1,053,411 1.8Pakistani 747,285 1.3Bangladeshi 283,063 0.5Ohter Asian 247,644 0.4Black Caribbean

565,876 1.0

Black African 485,277 0.8Black (others) 97,585 0.2Chinese 247,403 0.4Mixed race 677,117 1.2

Sources• the Hutchinson Encyclopedia of World History• http://www.samizdata.net/blog/archives/illegal%20imigrat

ion%20poster.jpg• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_of_the_United

_Kingdom#2001_Census• http://flickrcc.bluemountains.com: policing ladbroke grove• www.flickr.com/photos/78364563@N00/137655983• www.flickr.com/photos/86226435@N00/237883400• www.flickr.com/photos/13106344@N00/2863978390• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/uk/2005/

london_explosions/default.stm• All sites above accessed on March 22nd 2009