I will let the words of the Child Migrants Trust tell this story…
‘Britain is the only country in the world with a sustained history of child migration. Only Britain has used child migration as a key part of its child care strategy over four centuries rather than as a last resort during times of war or civil unrest.
The reality of this policy was to remove children, some as young as three years old from their mothers and fathers, from all that was familiar to them, and to ship them thousands of miles away from their home country to institutions in distant lands within the Commonwealth. Many of these children were removed without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
In the post-war period, child migrants as young as three were shipped to Canada, New Zealand, the former Rhodesia and Australia, a practice that continued as late as 1970.’
It is only as a result of the tireless work of Nottinghamshire social worker, Margaret Humphreys, that much of the truth has come to light.
When I first found out about the child migrants I was shocked. Then I was angry and that anger inspired me to write a book. I realised the best way to help the thousands of people affected by this dreadful policy that lasted for decades, was to raise awareness.
The Forgotten Children follows the journey of a mother, whose child was taken from her at birth. It is fiction, but based on the many factual accounts I read while researching the book.
By telling the fictional story of Emily’s search for her child, I hope The Forgotten Children will encourage more people to be shocked and angry. Perhaps then the individuals and families affected will finally receive the support they deserve.
The Forgotten Children is available now for pre-order from Amazon and will be published on November 29th.
Isabella Muir 