Lest we forget

July 26, 2016 7:53 AM

European refugees in India, Africa and the Middle East

During World War II in Europe over 40 million refugees sought shelter away from the catastrophic bloodshed that engulfed the continent for over six years.

posted by infini (12 comments total)

Mod note: One comment deleted; this is pretty interesting history and we don't need to immediately make it a weird fight about today's immigrants.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:21 AM on July 26, 2016 [4 favorites]

My Polish Jewish grandmother fled to Soviet Uzbekistan during the war. Through she was a stranger with a different culture, she reported that the people were kind to her, and shared what little they had with her and other refugees.
posted by 1adam12 at 9:02 AM on July 26, 2016 [2 favorites]

What an interesting comparison! This was before decolonization so Europeans were fleeing to European governed countries. Where they were making up for manpower depleted by the war and were probably able to work. There were still language and religious differences, I guess. And, in most cases, shockingly different climates. I wonder if German Jews in a British colony were treated as security risks, because they were German?
posted by Bee'sWing at 9:27 AM on July 26, 2016

Where they were making up for manpower depleted by the war and were probably able to work.

That's where I looked up the other links, the OP had nice photos but their 'research' seemed questionable - the first [During] says they mostly lived in camps, and longread pdf [refugees] debunks the myth that it was the colonial govt that brought them over to India. In fact, it was various Indian kings and industrialists, as well as the Polish government in exile.
posted by infini at 10:05 AM on July 26, 2016 [6 favorites]

". There were still language and religious differences, I guess. And, in most cases, shockingly different climates. "

And cultural differences as well. Just because 2 countries are on the same continent, doesn't mean that the only big differences would be religion and language. And on different continents you'd have the same differences as well. It's amazing how much differences in culture there are even a hundred miles apart. We're just not used to it now as there's an overall shared culture these days due to the pervasiveness of interactive media, easy communication, and the ability to travel (even if it's only a hundred miles over).
posted by I-baLL at 10:42 AM on July 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

One branch of my family fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s for South Africa (and later Australia). Different legal situation, but there is/was a pretty significant German Jewish population in South Africa.
posted by lunasol at 12:12 PM on July 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

After the war, we (British) did try to deport German Jews back to their country of origin... Germany! They didn't take this kindly. Nor indeed the many peoples we gave back to Stalin...
posted by alasdair at 12:44 PM on July 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

I wonder if German Jews in a British colony were treated as security risks, because they were German?

Yes, they were sent to Canada and Australia. My husband's grandfather and cousin were both interned, when they were young German-Jewish refugees in the UK.
posted by jb at 4:05 PM on July 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's great to get reminders like this that migratory flows of people are both constant in history, and varied. Those seeking succour today may be giving it out tomorrow.
posted by smoke at 5:15 PM on July 26, 2016 [3 favorites]

From the first link: "After the Ugandans had cleared away the scrub, ox-drawn ploughs went to work to open up the land. The Poles grew Irish potatoes, cabbages, corn, peas, soya beans, tomatoes and beetroot for the barszcz, a Polish dish. A chicken farm and piggery was eventually established. The latter became “the pride of the settlement” and would produce hams and highly spiced Polish sausages." And they built a bakery! I find it both sad and cheering that they worked to create a little flavor of home, even so far away.

I always learn something from your posts, infini; thank you!
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:37 PM on July 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

I wonder if German Jews in a British colony were treated as security risks, because they were German?

Oh yes. I guess I should make an FPP on this sometime, but about 2,000 Jews (and about 500 Nazis and Italian Fascists) were sent to Australia on the SS Dunera, and interned in Hay and Tatura. The Jewish passengers were treated very badly by the British soldiers, allegedly because they didn't understand that the Jews couldn't possibly be Nazis. That explanation doesn't really convince me; everybody knew about the way Jews were being treated in German-occupied Europe. Anyway, that's probably the best documented event because of the number of people involved at one time, but similar things happened to many European refugees; my Hungarian uncle, for example, arrived in Australia as a paid passenger in 1938 ... but war had broken out by the time the ship arrived, so he was interned initially, and then drafted into a labor battalion.
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:22 PM on July 26, 2016 [5 favorites]

The Jamsaheb’s welcome statement “You are all now Nawanagaris and I am Bapu, father to all Nawanagaris, including you” had a deep emotive effect amongst the half-starved Polish children

We have lost touch
posted by infini at 8:35 PM on July 26, 2016 [1 favorite]