Labor CJackson

Christopher Jackson
A Question of Labor
As stated many times before, WWII left war torn Europe in shamble. Still buildings can be rebuilt and rumble cleared away. Though the people are a different story especially displaced people. When the U.S. introduced the Marshall Plan they also had to deal with these DPs. A man by the name of J. Donald Kinley and his organization the International Refugee Organization was tasked with solving Europe’s migratory and refugee issues. Many people found themselves relocated to less war-torn locations such as the U.S., Britain, France, and Belgium.
The IRO did its best to relocate the DPs but there were limits. An example of theses limiting factors was not accepting people for the sake of humanitarianism. Most labor forces required an able-bodied person to function efficiently. Most of Europe at that time was war depleted already due to the previous conflict. People would not be accepted merely to be subject to the state’s welfare without contributing. This line of thinking led countries to exclude the sick or elderly from being allowed refuge in their nation.
Belgium for example had an unfair system in place to gain cheap workers out of these refugees. The Belgian plan involved contracting workers for two years working in mines before gaining an equal salary to native Belgians. This was so unpopular that most of the immigrants returned to their place of origin. Britain’s immigration plan was far more successful though not at all charitable. Much like other European states Britain sought out capable single males over married ones. Families with teenage children had a better chance than those with younger children provided the parents were also useful. It is upsetting that humanitarianism is not always led by the most ideal people. Though considering the reality it is understandable why most of the affected nation took these stances.