Most inhabitants of the British Isles can trace their origins elsewhere, and many people living in disparate parts of the world such as America and Australia can trace their roots to Britain.  British culture and society is not static or homogenous; like all other societies, the British people are the result of centuries of interactions between different groups who migrated and settled here.

The first part of this module presents a brief history of migration and explores the reasons why people migrate and the main categories of migrants in the contemporary world. These sections are illustrated with some migrants’ individual stories, which are presented in the case studies.

The section on history of South Asian migration and settlement offers an overview of the migration journeys of different groups of South Asian settlers around the world.