Migration at the Turn of the 20th Century

Migration – Jewish Migration in the 1930s

In this course, Professor Tony Kushner (University of Southampton) discusses Jewish migration to and from Britain in the 1930s. In the first module, we look at Jewish migration at the turn of the 20th century. After this, we explore inter-war Jewish migration. Then, we look at the Kindertransport. In the fourth module, we focus in to look at domestic refugees. Finally, we explore the key question: “How did the Second World War affect Jewish migrants in Britain?”.

Migration at the Turn of the 20th Century

In this module, we look at Jewish migration at the turn of the 20th century. In particular, we will look at the key questions: (i) How did global migration policies evolve from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, particularly in terms of documentation like passports and visas?; (ii) What led Britain to shift from a policy of free entry to one of the first countries to implement systematic and permanent immigration restrictions?; (iii) How did Britain's identity and self-perception as a refuge for diverse political exiles influence its early immigration policies?; (iv) What were the social and political factors that prompted the change from an open-door policy to the implementation of the Aliens Act of 1905?; (v) How did the Aliens Act of 1905 specifically target and affect East European Jews, and what was the significance of the asylum clause within this act?; (vi) What changes occurred in British immigration policy with the onset of World War I and the subsequent Alien Restriction Act of 1919?; (vii) How did international events and policies, such as the U.S. immigration restrictions in the 1920s, influence British immigration policies?; (viii) How did Britain's international responsibilities, like the mandate over Palestine, affect its immigration policies, particularly concerning Jewish migration?; and (ix) What were the global and local impacts of these evolving policies on potential refugees and migrants by 1933, particularly in the context of rising Nazism?