After the Immigration Act 1971 tightened Commonwealth migration, asylum seekers became more prominent — people fleeing wars and persecution from Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Applications rose from around 4,000 per year in 1987 to over 80,000 in 2002. Legislation tightened repeatedly: the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
The most dramatic recent shift was EU enlargement in 2004. When eight Central and Eastern European countries joined the EU, Britain granted immediate free movement. The result: approximately 1 million Polish-born people were living in Britain by 2011 — the largest single migration wave in British history. The combination of rising immigration numbers and the 2008 financial crisis fuelled the politics of Brexit, with immigration control a central Leave campaign argument. Britain voted 52-48 to leave the EU in June 2016. Free movement from the EU ended on 31 December 2020.
This deep dive covers Late 20th Century to Present: Asylum Seekers, EU and Brexit within Migrants to Britain, c.1250-present for GCSE History. Revise Migrants to Britain, c.1250-present in Component Group 1 — Thematic Studies for GCSE History with 14 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 7 of 17 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Migrants to Britain, c.1250-present
Describe two features of migration to Britain in the medieval period.
Describe two features of Jewish communities in medieval England before 1290.