The impact of emigration on british society since World War II

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the impact of migration on the British Empire and on today’s United Kingdom and British society, especially after World War II. In the first part, there will be an extensive reference on the migratory flows to the British Empire before the decolonial period, where British subjects from all over the world were resettled in the British Isles and shaped and influenced its character and economy, the laws that regulated these migrations will be also analysed to examine if migration was endorsed or not. In the second part reference will be made on the decolonization period, focusing on migrations to and from the Commonwealth, a time when migratory waves from all over the world became less controlled and more regulated. The growth in opposition against migrants in the decades of 1960’s and 1970’s is also something that would be addressed as well. Lastly, for the final part, the European Unions’ influence on migration to the UK will be discussed in order to study how the process of Europeanisation has affected the UK policies with reference to the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU, a choice that migration played a major role in.