Ugandan Refugees the Displaced Asian British Citizens

In the late summer of 1972, one group of British citizens were arriving from sunnier climes. They weren’t back from happy holidays. They were exiles from their native land. Frightened Asian families from Uganda were seeking shelter in Britain. And they would test just how much attitudes had really changed. They were displaced Asian Ugandan Refugees.

In Uganda the Asian communities had been wealthy, successful and influential, until the arrival of a man made in Britain; General Idi Amin.

An African dictator who had been trained by the British Army and even played rugby for its East Africa XV. But when Idi Amin first seized power in Uganda in 1971. Most people thought he’d still be loyal to the mother country.

Ugandan Refugees

But, Idi Amin had turned into a cruel and capricious dictator. He saved much of his venom for the people he described as blood suckers, Uganda’s 57,000 Asians.

Thrifty and hard-working, they dominated the country’s professional classes. Many of them still had British passports, a legacy of the last days of Empire.

But, now, Idi Amin wanted them out. And that meant that many of them were headed for the Imperial Motherland.

The prospect of thousands of Asians arriving here provoked a spasm of rage. Not everybody had learned to love the new realities of a post-imperial, multiracial society.

And, anti-immigration feelings were running high. Many of the men on this demonstration were from one workplace in east London. Claiming that the Asians represented a threat to their livelihoods.

The Smithfield meat porters marched on Westminster. Here was the authentic voice of white working-class anger. This storm of anger and anxiety came from a group of people. A group of people for whom Britain was changing just a bit too fast.

Displaced Asian British Citizens

For Ted Heath, the plight of the Ugandan Asians left him facing a tricky dilemma. He had promised to limit immigration from Commonwealth countries.

But, the Asian refugees were legally entitled to come and live here. In the next few months, about 25,000 Ugandan refugees arrived in Britain.

Most brought only what good stuff they could squeeze into their battered suitcases. But it didn’t matter. Because of what they did bring was ambition, aspiration and a determination to succeed.

However, towns and cities across Britain quickly provided homes for the immigrants. Including the booming, property-rich town of Peterborough.

The extraordinarily impressive thing is just how smoothly and successfully the Ugandan refugees settled into life in Peterborough. These were tremendously hard-working people.

While they had lost everything, but turned to any job they could find. All that mattered was to get a foothold, then you could work your way up.

9 weeks after they first arrived in Britain, all three Osman brothers have jobs in Peterborough. It’s tough and monotonous, but the basic wages are £21.75 with overtime on top.

Yet, by 1973, less than a year after they’d arrived, almost all the refugees had found permanent homes. Don’t forget that many of these refugees had left behind homes and businesses worth thousands of pounds.

Consequently they came to Britain with nothing but the clothes on their backs. And by dint of sheer hard graft, they dragged themselves up.

Ted Heath was full of admiration for these hard working immigrants.

And their devotion to self-improvement was a kind of super-charged version of the aspiration that was transforming Britain.