In August 1972 Uganda’s President Idi Amin suddenly announced his intention to expel the Asian community from the country within 90 days. They were the beating heart of Uganda’s economy and around 30,000 of them were holders of British passports (albeit these didn’t guarantee a right of entry to Britain). Whilst the British Government sought to reason with Amin and also to share the burden of refugees with other countries, the Government of Edward Heath accepted that Britain had a moral and humanitarian responsibility to care for the refugees.
The policy was initially supported by only 6% of the electorate and was politically courageous. The exhibition tells the story of the expulsion and how the Asians, stripped of their jobs, property and dignity came to Britain, and how the government and an army of volunteers made them welcome. It tells the story of the political struggle and how the refugees made a new life in a, sometimes, hostile climate. It is, however, a story with a moral – Britain’s compassion has been rewarded by the great contribution made to our national life by the Ugandan Asian community over the last 50 years.
