Immigration In The Uk
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UK’s historical development has created a contemporary society with multinational and multicultural characteristics. Since the European Union’s expansion to welcome 10 new states, UK has experienced an influx of immigrants, arriving from all around the world for various religious, personal, and political reasons. Regardless of their reasons to leave their home country, UK has been the place for them to start a new life. Immigration in the UK can be a controversial issue that is at times considered detrimental to the country or as something that contributes wealth to the nation. Regardless of these opposing viewpoints, immigration has and will continue to change UK’s social ad political culture as well as its economy; it remains one of the factors that have shaped UK’s contemporary society.
The history of settlement in the UK dates back to 800-200BC with the movement of Celtic people into Britain from Europe. They were soon followed by the Roman military, which occupied Britain from AD43 through AD409. After the Romans withdrew, Angles and Saxons invaded; they were known to either mix with the existing population or push it westwards. Their invasion led to the division of the country into zones which pushed Anglo-Saxons in England, with Celtic areas in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. In the eighth and ninth centuries AD, all these zones suffered from Scandinavian military invasions.
Britain’s early history was completed when the Angles and Saxons were defeated by French-Norman invaders at the Battle of Hastings in AD1066. The Norman Conquest was an important defining moment in the English history because not only were they subjected to Norman rule, but the conquest also influenced the English people and their language. UK’s history of early settlement and invasions affected the development of British life and established the basis of modern life. Newcomers after these invasions often imposed their cultures on the existing society as well as adapted some of the native characteristics.
In the eleventh century, Britain’s growth and attractiveness was harvested by agricultural changes and industrial revolutions. During this time, Britain developed into an agricultural and commercial nation which also expanded into manufacturing industries. Immigration during this period was characterized by financial and agricultural skills. Commercial expertise of immigrant lenders helped the country create greater wealth and influence trade. Talented and urbanized immigration significantly contributed to the national economy, adding new dimensions to a largely agricultural population.
The second development in Britain’s history was the number of industrial revolutions that transformed it from an agricultural economy into an industrial and manufacturing country. The industrialization of the nation extended commercial markets, attracting new immigrants with business and financial skills to exploit the industrial wealth. Immigrants during this period were able to offer their skills and international connections to financial institutions and import/export trades. Britain rapidly became the world’s leading industrial nation.
The development of Britain’s industries made it a nation rich in job opportunities and wealth. The 1940’s proved to be an important decade that changed British society; it marked the beginning of massive immigration to the UK as well as the arrival of many different cultures to the attractive nation. People from all around the world came to the UK to flee religious and political persecutions or to start businesses and gain employment. During these years, people from India, Pakistan, and the West Indies were even invited to come to Britain to fill available manual and low-paying jobs.
Mass immigration continued well into the 1950s and 1960s. Overflowing with immigrants, Britain’s government enforced a two-strand immigration policy in 1962. The first part of this policy, Immigration Acts, restricted the number of immigrants that were allowed to enter the country. Up until this time, people from the Empire and Commonwealth were allowed to enter UK because they held a British passport. However, under political pressure, these acts were created to make the immigration of non-whites into the UK more difficult. This new legislation meant that a British passport holder could only settle in Britain if they had a work permit or could prove that a parent or grandparent were born in the UK. While the government was working to tighten the entry rules, the rise in racial tension and prejudice called for a second part to their two-strand policy that would help tackle racial issues.
The second part, Race Relations Act, protected the rights of immigrants that were already settled in Britain. During this time, mass immigration had created racial tension between immigrants and Britain born citizens. The Race Relations Acts made it unlawful to discriminate against any persons on the grounds of racial, ethnic, or national origin. Mass immigration that continued into well into twentieth century built the ground for rising racial violence and prejudice. This act proved to be a solution to the growing problem within the country as a result of different cultures integrating with Britain’s larger society.
During the time the Race Relations Act was created, there was an increment in the number of non-white communities that were flourishing all over Britain. Majority of Asians and black Africans came into Britain and were able to become relatively successful in their professional lives while others experienced problems such as low paying jobs or unemployment. It can even be argued that Britain possesses a deep rooted racism based on the notions of racial superiority, which has limited the integration of the non-white population with the larger society. Many of the non-whites born in Britain feel they have been deprived of their experiences and have been shorted educational and employment opportunities. However, even though immigration and race remain problematic, many non-white immigrants and their British-born children have been able to adapt to the larger society while still retaining their cultural identities.
Well into the twentieth century, immigration into UK remains heavily concentrated in London, Southeast England, and East of London. This is after people started to move away from industrial areas that were created back in the nineteenth century. Considerable population shifts have occurred since than as a result of changing employment opportunities and economy. People moved away from regions such as Tyneside and South Wales to more diversified