This document shows a debate in the House of Commons about the Government’s handling of the Ugandan Asians expulsion on 6 December 1972. Commentary by Mr Timothy Raison MP (Aylesbury). (T353/27 f.2)
Transcript
I want to speak about how far humanity has been upheld by events-in other words how far, in tackling the resettlement problem, we have been able to behave in practice with as much humanity as we showed when we took the decision in principle. The purpose of this debate is to probe and so far as possible to try to establish how we have been able to look after this group of people and how they are settling in.
I am the first to acknowledge that the climate in which this operation has been carried out has not been easy. There is no point in denying that there has been considerable opposition in the country to the presence of the Ugandan refugees here or in denying that there are fears that go deeper than mere prejudice. I accept that a heavy concentration of immigrants is a serious problem. I accept that the housing shortage and unemployment are realities. I accept that concern for a way of life is a perfectly legitimate concern. If we look at the picture as a whole of what we have seen during the last few weeks, we can see that the best things in our own way of life, the things we most want to uphold -humanity and good sense, for example- have found expression and that in the way we have faced up to and accepted this challenge we have been able to show our way of life at its best.