Migration in Southampton

Migration in Southampton. . Southampton is a gateway city. People from all over the world have shaped its economy, culture and politics., Roman, Saxon and Norman invaders and settlers all made their mark on the town in its first 1,300 years. Italian merchants and seafarers from China, Africa, South Asia and the Middle East settled here. Refugees sought protection, including Huguenots from the Low Countries and France, Basque children from Spain, Jews from Russia and Germany, and asylum seekers today. More recently, migrants from countries that were once part of the British Empire, and others from all parts of the globe, have come to work in the city., From the 1880s onwards millions of people have passed through Southampton on route to other countries, Large numbers found temporary refuge in the Emigrants' Home near the docks and at Atlantic Park, now the site of Southampton Airport., For some, the transition has not been easy and the welcome not always warm, but as home to people from over 60 countries and with 148 languages spoken in its schools, Southampton is committed to being an inclusive and welcoming city.