Administering relief: Glasgow Corporation’s support for Scotland’s c. 20,000 Belgian refugees

Citation

Jenkinson J (2016) Administering relief: Glasgow Corporation’s support for Scotland’s c. 20,000 Belgian refugees. Immigrants and Minorities, 34 (2), pp. 171-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619288.2016.1169928

Abstract
Uniquely in the history of British wartime support for Belgian refugees, a subcommittee of Glasgow Corporation assumed complete responsibility for close to 20,000 refugees housed in Scotland. The councillors who formed Glasgow Corporation’s Belgian Refugee Committee became the administrators for Belgian refugee relief for the whole of Scotland. The Glasgow committee raised money to support Belgian refugees via public, church and trade union donations from across Scotland to offset the £1000 weekly running costs. This article considers the reasons behind the Corporation’s assumption of this national role and assesses its success in supporting Scotland’s Belgian refugees.

Keywords
Belgian refugees; Scotland; Glasgow Corporation; central and municipal government; Local Government Board; Scottish Office

Journal
Immigrants and Minorities: Volume 34, Issue 2

People

Dr Jacqueline Jenkinson

Senior Lecturer, History