1. Timeline of Immigration
2000 BC – Today

2. 2000 – 1500 BC
The ‘Beaker’ people came to the UK from Spain. They brought with them bronze arrows, axes and ornaments as well as a distinctive pottery beaker (or cup) which is often found in their graves.

3. 800 – 450 BC
The Celtic people came from Europe and introduced iron into the UK.

4. 43 – 411
The Romans invaded and introduced many things such as roads, Latin, the calendar and towns.
Photograph by Dave-F 2007

5. C. 390
Around this time there were further invasions by the Angles, who came from Denmark, and the Saxons who travelled from Germany to settle.

6. 1066
The next group of people to invade and conquer Britain were the Normans from Normandy in France. They became famous for their castles.
Photograph by Bobcatnorth

7. 1200s People came from all over Europe to trade goods. They
were known as merchants.
Markets became important in
many large towns.

8. 1670s A group of people known as the Huguenots escaped from
religious persecution in France
to come to the UK. They were
known for their skills of making
paper, silk weaving and clocks.

9. 1700s – Early 1900s
Sailors travelled to & from Asia, Africa and the Far East.
They introduced spices which were very important then for using in cooking.

10. Late 1700s During the French Revolution,
many fled France to come to the
UK. Some of these people (who
had been rich and famous in
their own country), took on jobs
such as window cleaning,
delivering coal and being waiters.

11. 1834
When slavery was finally abolished in British colonies many former slaves came to live here. Some became grocers, writers and composers.

12. 1845 - 1849 At this time many people fled to
Britain from Ireland when their
staple crop, the potato, failed.
This was known as the Great
Famine.

13. 1850s onwards Many European immigrants came
to work in the UK. These included
persecuted Jews, who often
became businessmen or took on
professional jobs. Germans came
as clerks, and Italians worked on
ice-cream vans or in pizza
restaurants.

14. 1935 – 1945
During World War Two, many refugees came to Britain. This included Jews, children and Polish people who had fled when first the Nazis then the Soviet Army invaded Poland. Many served with the British forces.

15. 1947 Political changes in the Indian sub–continent resulted in
immigrants arriving in Britain.
They included people of many
faiths including Muslims, Hindus
and Sikhs. Curries became popular in Britain.

16. 1948 People from the Caribbean Islands moved here to work and
settle, bringing with them reggae
music and carnivals. Many
helped to rebuild Britain after the
Second World War.

17. 1960s Many people came from all over the world to work in the National
Health Service taking up many
jobs such as nurses, doctors,
care assistants and surgeons.

18. 1960s - Today People from the UK have emigrated
to live and work in many different
countries. The UK has also
received immigrants from all over
the world. Many asylum seekers
have left their countries as a result
of war and persecution e.g. Iraq,
Afghanistan, Vietnam and Bosnia.