A reminder we've always been sh.t to refugees
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2023 10:05 pm
Saturday marks the 85th anniversary of the first arrivals to the UK of the Kindertransport. I'm sure we've all seen the incredibly emotional That's Life segment from 1988 where the efforts of Nicholas Winton in the scheme were publicly acknowledged for the first time. It's often held up as an example of the UK doing the right thing by refugees - offering a safe space to people fleeing violence, war and persecution. And it's easy to believe that and not think much more about it.
But this article goes through the difficulties faced by those trying to save people from the Nazis.
The first thing I'd never really asked is, why children? More specifically, why just children?
The government also refused to provide any help - financial or organisational - to the efforts, leaving it to volunteers. In fact, not only did they not help the refugees, they demanded a "guarantee" of £50 per child "to indemnify against any expense". This strategy has been copied in more recent times,
Honestly, I think the Kindertransport is yet another myth we tell ourselves about how enlightened the country was. Yes, it was a worthy scheme and every life saved is valuable, but it could have been so much more. And by holding it up as this shining example of humanism we fail to see its limitations and how that suspicion of refugees has perpetuated ever since.
But this article goes through the difficulties faced by those trying to save people from the Nazis.
The first thing I'd never really asked is, why children? More specifically, why just children?
The emotional impact of being separated from your family and then, in many cases, surviving while everyone else was murdered in concentration camps or ghettos, can't be overstated. And it was largely done to appease antisemites....prime minister Neville Chamberlain’s government was reluctant to offer refuge to Jews, fearing for the UK’s security, the cost and the anti-foreign and antisemitic sentiments of some of the electorate. So, it came up with the compromise of only admitting unaccompanied children rather than whole families.
The government also refused to provide any help - financial or organisational - to the efforts, leaving it to volunteers. In fact, not only did they not help the refugees, they demanded a "guarantee" of £50 per child "to indemnify against any expense". This strategy has been copied in more recent times,
They also refused to accept any child with disabilities or "additional needs",Following the refugee crisis of 2015, [the government] launched the community sponsorship scheme, which relied on volunteers to raise £4500 per adult they wished to sponsor.
And after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, the UK government once again looked for volunteer hosts via the homes for Ukraine scheme.
In fact,Even children whose parents had mental health problems were rejected. Born on April 26 1926, Herta Baumfeld was not accepted for the Kindertransport because her mother was in a psychiatric institution. Herta was subsequently murdered at the Maly Trostinec concentration camp in Belarus on September 18 1942.
This is an attitude that I'm sure some of current MPs have expressed about modern refugees.Some MPs expressed the view that only those children who would be of benefit to the UK should be admitted.
Honestly, I think the Kindertransport is yet another myth we tell ourselves about how enlightened the country was. Yes, it was a worthy scheme and every life saved is valuable, but it could have been so much more. And by holding it up as this shining example of humanism we fail to see its limitations and how that suspicion of refugees has perpetuated ever since.