PUBLIC opinion on immigration has shifted “considerably” in the last 50 years, Asian leaders said on the anniversary last week of a major UK immigration law.
It was a Labour government that brought in the Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1968.
Lord Navnit Dholakia, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, moved to the UK from Tanzania in the 1960s, and has wide experience in community and race relations.
He told Eastern Eye that public opinion has altered on migration, stating he would find it hard to imagine demonstrations against immigrants today.
“In the early days, I remember a march starting from Trafalgar Square to Downing Street of more than 20,000 people protesting against immigration legalisation to be brought in from the government at the time,” Lord Dholakia said.
“You don’t see that situation in the present day – if you want to lead a march against immigration, very few people would turn up. There is definitely a change in attitude of
how we look at immigration.”
The 1968 Act reduced the rights of Commonwealth citizens who wished to move to Britain.
The passing of the law came after concerns that 200,000 Kenyan Asians would take up their right to live in the UK after president Jomo Kenyatta threatened expulsion to anyone
without Kenyan citizenship.
The Observer columnist Kenan Malik has referred to the law as the “most nakedly racist piece of legislation of post-war years”.
"We can look upon all this as simply history, albeit a particularly shameful episode,” Malik
wrote in the paper last weekend.
“Britain has changed enormously since 1968… the raw, visceral racism that disfigured the nation then is much rarer now.”
Between 1968 and 1974, it was estimated that more than 70,000 Kenyan and Ugandan Asians arrived in Britain.
Jaffer Kapasi OBE, the honorary consul general of Uganda and founding member and patron of the Leicestershire Asia Business Association (LABA), came to the UK in 1972 when Ugandan president Idi Amin expelled the Asian minority from the country.
“When we came here, we had £55 in our pockets,” Kapasi told Eastern Eye. “[Compared to Uganda], we had come to a country that was very cold as we landed in November.
“We had come to an alien country with a different climate and different people to what we were used to in Uganda... but since then, this country has given us so much.”
Kapasi shared Lord Dholakia’s view on shifting opinion on immigration, but believes there is now a negative view towards European migrants which may have influenced the Brexit vote.
He said people seem to have forgotten how many migrants have come to the UK from different countries, adding that Europeans have been the most recent “targets”.
“I believe the Brexit vote was done on the basis on eastern European migrants,” he said.
“I find it strange that people have gone so against European migrants… they do contribute quite heavily in trade, farming and supplying domestic health and social care. But, somehow, people have turned against them.”
Lord Dholakia, who came to the UK to study at Brighton Technical College, said although coming to the country was a “shock”, he settled in well and established relationships
within the community.
Early on, he was invited to join the local Liberal Party after meeting with a group of youngsters in a Brighton pub. In 1962, he was elected to Brighton Council.
“It was a tremendous change of lifestyle,” the politician remarked.
Both Lord Dholakia and Kapasi agreed that the community has done “extremely well” in their progression after migrating to the UK from east Africa.
“There was an incredible amount of unity in the way [east African Asians] got into business structure in this country and they proved themselves to be tremendous role models for the community,” Lord Dholakia said.
Kapasi added that several notable figures in British society, such as doctors, academics, politicians and industrialists, originate from the diaspora.
“They have done extremely well,” he said.
Talking about how politicians can continue to bring communities together, Kapasi believes they should play a role in making sure they listen to minorities, especially considering Brexit.
“People of Indian and east Africa origin already have links with those countries, so [the government] could capitalise on that and try to improve trade with all the Commonwealth,”
he suggested.
“We can capitalise on that, making sure we have powerful trading relations and improving our existing trading relations.”
UK music industry continue to face systemic barriers that hinder progress, visibility, and career growth – despite decades of contribution and cultural influence, a new report has revealed.
The study, South Asian Soundcheck, published last Tuesday (7), surveyed 349 artists and professionals and found that while many are skilled and ambitious, structural obstacles are still holding them back.
Prepared by Lila, a charity focused on empowering south Asian artists and music professionals, the survey showed that nearly three-quarters of respondents earn some income from music, but only 28 per cent rely on it full time.
More than half struggle to access opportunities or funding, and many said they lack industry networks or knowledge about contracts and rights.
Beyond structural issues, almost half said they face stereotypes about the kind of music they should make; two in five encounter family doubts about music as a career, and one in three has experienced racial discrimination.
Although 69 per cent said there was progress in visibility, but 68 per cent still feel invisible within the industry.
Respondents sought urgent action, including mentorship and networking opportunities, stronger south Asian representation in key industry roles and fairer access to funding.
Veteran musician and composer Viram Jasani, who chaired the Asian Music Circuit and led a national enquiry into south Asian music in 1985, told Eastern Eye the findings were “disheartening”.
“I read the report and my heart sank – it feels as though nothing has changed,” he said.
“Back in 1985, we had already identified the same problems and made clear recommendations for better representation, employment and long-term support. Four decades later, we are still talking about the same issues.”
Jasani, a sitar, tabla and tambura expert, said the report focused mainly on modern genres and overlooked traditional south Asian music, which he believes is central to cultural identity.
“Since colonial times, British attitudes have not changed much,” he said. “If they can erase Indian traditional culture and create a community that lives entirely within an English cultural bubble, then they will have succeeded.”
He added that young south Asian artists were often drawn to Western contemporary music, while neglecting their own heritage.
“We are brilliant in Western genres, but that should come after we are grounded in our traditional shashtriya sangeet (classical music),” he said. “Without that foundation, we lose our sense of identity.”
Jasani also warned a lack of unity within the south Asian community continues to weaken its cultural progress.
He said, “People compete with each other while the world watches. For too long, massaging egos has taken priority over producing the best of our culture.”
According to the survey, one in three has experienced direct racial discrimination. One respondent said, “There are virtually no visible and successful south Asian artists in the mainstream – people simply do not know where to place us.”
Another added: “I want south Asian artists to be part of the collective mainstream industry, not just put on south Asian-specific stages or events.”
While the visibility of south Asian artists has improved, with more names appearing on festival line-ups and in the media, the study revealed this progress remains “surface level”.
Lila’s founder, Vikram Gudi, said the findings show progress has not yet been translated into structural inclusion.
“The data exposes what we call the progress paradox. Seventy-three per cent of the people we surveyed earn some money from music, but only 27 per cent earn enough to rely on it as a sustainable career,” he said.
“The Soundcheck gives us the evidence to enact real change and identifies three essential needs – mentorship, representation, and investment.”
Three-quarters of participants said mentorship from experienced professionals would make the biggest difference to their careers. Many stressed the importance of being guided by people who “understand how the industry works and can connect them to decision-makers”.
Nearly the same proportion called for greater south Asian representation across the music industry – not just on stage, but within executive, programming and production roles at festivals, venues, record labels and streaming services.
Dedicated funding also emerged as a priority, with many describing the current grant systems as inaccessible or ill-suited to the diverse and cross-genre work that defines south Asian creativity today.
Two in five respondents reported that family or community resistance remains a challenge, often due to the perceived instability of a music career. The report argued this scepticism is “economically logical”, when there are so few visible south Asian success stories in the mainstream.
Responding to the report, Indy Vidyalankara, member of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce and BPI Equity & Justice Advisory Group, said: “South Asian music is rich, vibrant, and hugely influential. We need south Asian representation at every level of the ecosystem, plus support and investment to match that influence.”
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