Refugees in twentieth-century Britain

Published: 1st June 2021

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In this recorded session from the 2021 HA virtual conference, Dr Becky Taylor of the University of East Anglia uses a selection of documents to explore what the sudden arrival of vulnerable strangers might reveal about the changing nature of modern Britain.
 

Refugee Week

Refugee Week takes place every June. Whether in the news headlines or not, across the world hundreds of thousands of people are living in displaced persons’ camps, makeshift accommodation and detention centres, or making perilous journeys to seek asylum in other countries.  

The majority of the world’s refugees only make it to the country next door and sometimes not even that far, perhaps only as far as their own war-torn country's border, and those host countries are themselves often suffering from economic, societal, or climate-caused difficulties. 

Refugee Week reminds us that refugee issues are a contemporary concern, not one from the past. It is an opportunity to look at how as a global society we have treated our fellow citizens over the centuries as they arrive in new places, and how we treat them now.  

Many commentators have raised the idea that how we treat refugees is a measure of our own societal progress. It is now time to ask that question again – will we be happy with the answer?

If you would like to write an article about the historical issues around refugees for the Historian please contact us directly at thehistorian@history.org.uk