Refugees from the Nazi regime trying to enter Britain were mostly Jewish, but some were Christian or political refugees. In Britain there were fears that the arrival of Jewish refugees could be damaging to British economic interests and there was a concern that home-grown antisemitism could be provoked. Pressure from Jewish organisations, MPs and some Church groups to allow in more refugees was applied to the Government.

Jewish organisations agreed to provide financial guarantees for the refugees, and on that basis the government agreed to establish an admissions procedure in cooperation with charitable organisations, including many Christian ones. In addition to that, up to 20,000 women were allowed to enter Britain on domestic servant visas.

After the Anschluss between Germany and Austria in March 1938, further pressure was applied to allow more refugees, but the Jewish community were unable to offer guarantees for the large numbers that requested refuge. The British government decided to impose visa controls, which meant that they could pre-select from those who had applied to be admitted. Fear of persecution was not a criteria for granting admission, as it is today.

After the brutality of Kristallnacht in November 1938, the British government allowed the kindertransport scheme to assist children.

By the start of the war roughly 60,000-70,000 Jewish refugees were in Britain – it only a fraction of those who had sought refuge in Britain.