1970's forced migration of Ugandan Asians to the United Kingdom.

Authors Avatar

Madhav Manek 3M6                                                                                25th April 2003

A Migration Case Study

Topic: 1970’s forced migration of Ugandan Asians to the United Kingdom

Idi Amin, the head of Uganda armed forces, came to power in February 1971 in a relatively bloodless coup d’état while the President of Uganda, President Milton, was attending a Commonwealth Leaders Conference in Singapore. Amin initially was a General in the British army.

The initial feeling of great happiness and well being demonstrated that Obote’s measure of popularity with the Asians in Uganda was low. Idi Amin’s astounding ignorance of the rule of law and how to govern a nation and to enhance and improve the well being of his peoples came to light incrementally. Idi Amin for the first 18 months indicated that there was no problem with the Asian Community and there was no known conflict or public scandal that might have explained the bombshell he dropped on the 5th August 1972. On that day in 1972 the lives of all the people living in Uganda were radically changed some for the better others for the worse. The main idea of this plan of Amin’s was to make Uganda at first but then the whole of Africa purely for Africans. He wanted no foreigners especially Asians and Jews. He also didn’t want the British to try and take over any part of Uganda.

Join now!

Idi Amin gave the British an ultimatum to accept reduced pay or be expelled from the country in 12 days. The reduced pay, which was being brought in, was 40% of their original wage cut of. If they did not accept they were told to leave the country.

Around 80,000 Ugandan Asians were told to leave the country in 1972. The time they had to get out was surely not enough as they only got 90 days to leave the country. This was only if they were not Ugandan citizens. At that particular point of time Asians were ...

This is a preview of the whole essay