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157.000 Poles settle in the UK
At the end of the Second World War there were work shortages in Europe and labour shortages in Britain. The government began looking for immigrants.
Some 157,000 Poles were the first groups to be allowed to settle in the UK, partly because of ties made during the war years. They were joined by Italians but it was not enough to meet the need. (date not reliable) -
West Indian immigrants come to the UK
On 22 June 1948, the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury in London, delivering hundreds of men from the West Indies. Many had returned to rejoin the RAF. Others had been encouraged by adverts for work. The day marked what would become a massive change to British society - the start of mass immigration to the UK and the arrival of different cultures. -
A rise in racial violence and prejudice
As mass immigration continued in the 1950s, so did the rise of racial violence and prejudice. Many areas including Birmingham, Nottingham and west London experienced rioting as white people feared the arrival of a black community. On one hand, these men and women had been offered work in a country they had been brought up to revere. On the other, many were experiencing racial prejudice they had never expected. (the date is not reliable) -
80.000 African Asians expelled the the UK
The most significant immigration of the decade came in 1972 when the Ugandan dictator General Idi Amin expelled 80,000 African Asians from the country, families who had been encouraged to settle there during the days of Empire. Many held British passports and, amid a major crisis, the UK admitted 28,000 in two months. (date not reliable) -
Immigration rules tighten
By 1972, legislation meant that a British passport holder born overseas could only settle in Britain if they, firstly, had a work permit and, secondly, could prove that a parent or grandparent had been born in the UK.
While government was tightening the entry rules, racial tension meant it had to try to tackle prejudice and two race relations acts followed (date not reliable) -
Commision for Racial Equality
In 1976 the government established the Commission for Racial Equality, the statutory body charged with tackling racial discrimination. -
Viv Anderson - the first black footballer
In 1978 Viv Anderson became the first black footballer to be selected for the full England team and went on to win 30 caps. -
Riots sparked by racial issues
The riots of 1981 were largely sparked by racial issues. In Brixton, the spiritual home of Britain's afro-Caribbean community, youths rioted amid resentment that the police were targeting more and more young black men in the belief that it would stop street crime. Similar riots followed in Liverpool and the Midlands. The subsequent Scarman Report found that "racial disadvantage is a fact of current British life". (date not reliable) -
Four non-white politicians elected
On 11 June 1987, the face of British politics changed when four non-white politicians were elected at the same General Election. Today there are 12 non-white MPs. Campaigners say that equal representation would require at least 55 black MPs in the House of Commons. -
BNP wins three local council seats
In May 2002 the far-right British National Party won three local council seats, a year after racial tensions and were blamed for riots in northern towns. The government's plans for a new nationality and immigration legislation, including a possible citizenship test, sparked new controversy.