Leiden University Student Repository

Nieuwenhuijsen, Jacobien (2016)

Displaced Children in Ireland. The Case of W.R.F. Collis and the Belsen Children

Research master thesis | History (research) (MA)

When the Second World War ended, the European continent was devastated. Displaced persons (DPs) were scattered all over Europe. There were children among the DPs. They had survived the concentration camps, but often they had no place or family to return to. The European continent was not able to take care of all the DPs as the countries needed to rebuild themselves. The DPs needed to be relocated. An obvious choice would have been Ireland [neutral and undamaged by the war] but Ireland had strict immigration policy, in particularly towards Jewish people. This research aims to explain the attitude of the Irish government towards Jewish DP children and the relationship between media, claim makers and policymakers with regard to policymaking. The story of Dr. W.R.F. Collis is used as a case study. This research is based on a wide range of sources (including policy documents, interviews, autobiographies and newspaper articles).

Displaced Children

Postwar

World War II

Ireland

Politics

Media

Political history

Immigration

Author

Nieuwenhuijsen, Jacobien

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Political Culture and National Identities (ResMA)

Supervisors

Schrover, Marlou

ECTS Credits

40

Language

en