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A Brief Note On Immigration And Race Relations Essay

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Social Policy – U.K. Immigration & Race Relations The Oxford English dictionary describes immigration as the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle or reside there, or to take-up employment as a migrant worker. It was in the mid-twentieth century, following the Second World War, that many economic migrants first arrived in the UK from Commonwealth countries, particularly the West Indies, seeking work and a better life. It did not take long for tensions to rise between these migrants and the indigenous white population. At this time, it was not uncommon to see signs on guest houses in Britain’s major cities stating “No Blacks / Irish”. Racial tensions came to a head in September 1958 when, in London, up to 400 working class white youths began a week long attack on the homes of West Indian immigrants in what became known as the Notting Hill riots. The UK Race Relations Act was first introduced in 1965 as a legal means of addressing such discrimination on the grounds of race. The act made it an offence to incite racial hatred or refuse to serve, unreasonably delay or overcharge someone on the grounds of colour, race or ethnic origin. Though noticeably the act did not cover such acts of discrimination in shops or private boarding houses. The act was seen as weak and wasn’t often enforced. As a result, it was later replaced by the stronger Race Relations Act 1968 which
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