Refugees in the UK
'In this country it is good manners to speak and walk quietly, both in the house and in the street and public places' (2)
By the outbreak of war in September 1939, Britain had accepted up to 80,000 German-speaking refugees from Germany, Austria, and parts of Czechoslovakia. Of those arriving, 90% had fled as they were persecuted for being Jewish, according to Nazi laws.
Britain was not the first country of choice for those fleeing persecution as it was culturally very different to the Continent. To help refugees fit in, refugee agencies published several leaflets with instructions on how to behave in this country. However, after the events of 1938, it felt safer than the continental mainland and many hoped it would be a staging post before moving on to the US or Palestine.
Support for refugees initially came from faith-based organisations, especially the Jewish community and Quakers, as well as left-wing and anti-Fascist organisations. As the persecution of Jews worsened, support for refugees grew among the general population. More than half of the refugees - at least 60,000 - arrived in the eighteen months between March 1938 and the outbreak of war in September 1939.
'It is essential to avoid creating the impression that the door is open to immigrants of all kinds' (3)
As the right to asylum was not enshrined in British law, anyone entering Britain had to comply with strict immigration criteria. Admittance was dependent on a job offer or a financial guarantor to prove no-one would be a burden on the state. Border police had the power to allow or refuse entry.
In April 1938 visa regulations were introduced in response to the increase of refugees after the annexation of Austria in March. Sir Samuel Hoare, Home Secretary at the time, made clear that Britain did not have an open-door policy for immigrants.
One of the few routes to obtain a visa was to apply for a domestic employment visa as there was a shortage of servants in the UK. More than 20,000 women came over on such a visa, many of them from Austria.
Once in the UK, refugees had to report to the police on a regular basis. Many visas were only issued on a temporary basis and had to be renewed regularly. A work permit was also required for any paid work.
'Cry for help - Jewish Couple, aged 60, seeks urgently Post, wife cook, man housework and hairdresser. Write A. Damboritz, Vienna 20, Bauerlegasse 20' (4)
On 9 November 1938 the Nazis orchestrated a night of destruction and violence across Germany and Austria - the November Pogrom, also known as Kristallnacht (Crystal Night or the Night of Broken Glass). Synagogues were burned down and Jewish-owned businesses and homes were looted. Jewish men of all ages were arrested and taken to concentration camps.
This upsurge of violence generated a wave of support and mobilised Britain to accept more refugees. For example, up to 10,000 children were permitted to travel, without their parents, from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. This became known as the Kindertransport.
After the November Pogrom Jews were ever more desperate to leave Austria and Germany. Advertisements were placed in the Manchester Guardian, offering domestic services - such as this one by Alois Damboritz. It is typical of the many adverts placed by Jews desperate to find a job or sponsor in order to secure a visa. Alois and his wife Rosalia were unsuccessful in receiving an offer of work and like so many, were deported and killed in 1942.
'If only this ridiculous internment would make any sense!' (5)
The German attack and occupation of France in May 1940 led to a rise in anti-German sentiment and fear of an imminent invasion. In response, the government interned 'enemy aliens', mainly German and Austrian refugees. Almost a third of all German and Austrian refugees, mostly men, were sent to internment camps on the Isle of Man or transported to camps in Australia and Canada.
This was a devastating blow to people who were desperate to join in the fight against the Nazis. By autumn 1940 the policy had been reversed but it took time to release the thousands of internees. By the end of 1941 most had been released and many joined the British Armed Forces or helped in other ways to defeat the Nazis.