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This thesis seeks to develop a fresh approach on immigration history in post-war Britain by focusing on public administration in a contract labour programme. The orthodox approach towards studies of immigration has been to concentrate upon the outcomes of state activity rather than the process. Consequently the experiences and reactions of volunteer workers have received much attention. This thesis offers new perspectives based on an analysis of the frameworks developed to deliver the Displaced Persons and European Voluntary Worker programmes after the Second World War. It is argued that the mundane aspects of government bureaucracy, normally unremarkable and unimportant, are indeed crucial to an understanding of how post-war labour and refugee policies were managed. With an abundance of government records extant, it is feasible to revise an important chapter of immigration history by exploring the architecture of public administration in an era of expanding bureaucracy. This study analyses the techniques and systems deployed by civil servants to provide a clearer understanding of the organisational character of a contract labour scheme that also granted political asylum to refugees. Although some political ambitions guiding the programmes were questionable, the method of their delivery suggests greater consideration was given towards participants than has previously been claimed. Emphasis is given to the origins of the immigration schemes within the wider framework of state activity, and towards the government machinery and resources available to implement policy. The state expanded dramatically during the Second World War and the civil service gained invaluable experience in managing complex new tasks. By analysing the application of this knowledge, it is possible to gain an insight into the culture of bureaucracy, explore how projects involving tens of thousands of individuals were conducted, and how the programmes affected the frame of reference of civil servants overseeing immigration and political asylum.

The thesis examines, philosophically and practically, what duties humanity has towards refugees. As the foundation for the thesis, a philosophical background related to human development is provided. Next, a control group of countries in the European Union is used to investigate how refugees impact societies in reality in order to analyze whether countries have an ethical duty to protect their own domestic population, overriding obligations towards refugees. Continuing in this vein, certain political ideologies and religious doctrines are examined in order to determine if there is an underlying theme towards refugees. Stemming from this is an analysis of various international treaties in order to understand what the treaties require and permit countries to do legally. Finally, everything is combined, and the ethical and moral argument related to helping refugees is thoroughly explored. The aim is to uncover the problematization of the current literature and to establish that everyone has ethical duties towards refugees. Refugees are shown not to be a group of people damaging society; not helping refugees in any way damages the human development of a refugee and the inherent moral duties of the person/state/community not providing assistance; all religious doctrines and political ideologies push for...