European Migrants after the Second World War

One of the most delicate issues after the war was where and how to resettle displaced persons, war prisoners and refugees. The war had drawn a new Europe, whose geography had changed yet again, physical borders had shifted and political borders had beenere created, dividing the Continent and its successive history and economic development. Many people felt betrayed and left their country of origin, millions of refugees poured into Germany from Russia, the Jews who survived emigrated all over the globe. The purpose of this article is to show how first the IRO and subsequently the UNHCR took care of and assisted them and provided for their protection, transport and reestablishment in countries able and willing to receive them. Finally, the ICEM arranged for the transport of (poor) migrants from certain European countries with surplus population to other countries in Europe or overseas offering opportunities of permanent resettlement. ICEM progressively assisted from 22% to 40% of all emigrants leaving from Europe in the 1950s. Nonetheless, in the space of a few years things changed completely.