Witness History: Witness Archive 2016 - Vietnamese Boat People Arrive in Britain

Download Vietnamese Boat People Arrive in Britain

In late 1978, huge numbers of refugees began fleeing Vietnam, trying to escape the country's repressive communist government.

Many of the refugees took to sea in flimsy boats at huge risk. Diep Quan and her family were rescued from their sinking vessel by a British merchant ship and were among the first Vietnamese refugees to arrive in Britain.

In January 1979, her family were given the keys to a new home in the English city of Peterborough. Diep tells Witness about her journey to Britain as a nine year old and the challenges of adapting to a new life in the UK.

(Photo: Several boatloads of refugees reach Hong Kong waters in 1979. Credit: COR/AFP/Getty Images)

Published on Friday, 1st January 2016.

Available Podcasts from Witness History: Witness Archive 2016

Subscribe to Witness History: Witness Archive 2016

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Witness History: Witness Archive 2016 webpage.