History
Newcastle upon Tyne was once a major trading port with people and goods from all over the world passing through. Even though such industry has now largely disappeared, it has left its mark on the city. The following section provides a brief account of successive waves of immigration and settlement in the city.
Late 1800s Jewish Settlers
In the late 19th century many Jewish settlers moved to the North East, fleeing persecution in Prussia and Lithuania. By 1900 the Jewish presence in Newcastle amounted to nearly 2000 people.
Post 1945 Polish Population
After 1945 many Poles and European Volunteer Workers settled in the North. There were about 200,000 Europeans who came at that time and they were mainly made up of two groups: former combatants of the Polish army who refused to return home and people from Baltic States invited as ‘temporary labour'. In 1948, 84,000 such workers were placed in employment across the North East Region.
1990s Bosnian Refugees
Resettlement of ex-detainees from a number of concentration camps during the war in Bosinia started in 1992. The Home Office working with the Refugee Council, Refugee Action and the Red Cross set up the Bosnia Project. All those who came under the resettlement scheme were housed in reception centres all over the UK, including Newcastle upon Tyne (Gelsthorpe and Herlitz, 2002). Many of the refugees resettled in Newcastle have stayed and there are about 30 of these families still living in Newcastle
2000 onwards Dispersed Asylum Seekers
The dispersal of asylum seekers away from London and the South East to other regions of the UK was introduced under the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act in order to reduce the demand on areas where there is a lack of housing. The dispersal process was overseen by a new agency called the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), which provided support and accommodation to adult asylum seekers via contracts with various councils around the country. The Newcastle Asylum Seekers Unit was established in December 1999 within Your Homes Newcastle, a company controlled by Newcastle City Council. The Asylum Seekers Unit was set up to deal directly with the contract that has been signed with the Home Office and to provide accommodation to asylum seekers under the dispersal scheme.
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Last Updated: 16/02/10
