Impact of War & Post-war Recovery

• The fight against racist Nazi Germany had a limited impact on Immigration and on British Racial attitudes, but the shift was the view of the colonies changed from racial inferiors to valued wartime allies
• Black Workers were invited to work in crucial areas during WW2, for example, 1000 West Indians invited to work at munition factories in Lancashire and Merseyside and a further 10000 employed as ground crew by the Royal Air Force (RAF)
• The Aliens Orders Act had been revoked in 1942, so it made it easier for immigrants to gain access to the UK
• The post-war economic recovery had a profound impact on immigration as the British Government wanted to recruit workers (due to a shortage of workers after WW2) in Europe to keep up with the demand of cheap labour
• The British Government wanted to recruit workers (due to a shortage of workers after WW2) in Europe to keep up with the demand of cheap labour, so 100000 Poles were recruited as part of the 'Polish Resettlement Corps'
• The Polish Resettlement Act of 1947 enabled displaced Poles to reside in Britain to remain
• The 1948 British Nationality Act gave UK Citizenship to people living in the Commonwealth
• After the 1948 British Nationality Act, 492 West Indians disembarked at Tilbury Docks, London from the SS Empire Windrush on the 22nd June 1948
• On the 22nd June 1948 (after the 1948 British Nationality Act) 492 West Indians disembarked at Tilbury Docks, London from the SS Empire Windrush
• After the SS Empire Windrush arrived in Britain, a further 108 Jamaican Immigrants arrived on the SS Orbita in September 1948
• After the 1948 British Nationality Act, for the following 5 years, around 3000 Black Immigrants were settling into Britain each year