The history of Paddington Bear: British icon - and refugee?

Now a British icon and friend to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Paddington, a bear from Peru, became popular after the Second World War.

The man behind the marmalade-loving character, the late author Michael Bond, drew on his wartime memories of evacuees and refugees when he created the much-loved Paddington Bear. 

The author is quoted as saying "Paddington Bear was a refugee with a label - 'Please look after this bear. Thank you.’”

Bond was a child during the Second World War and spoke of seeing child evacuees from London relocated in his home town of Reading, where his parents opened their home. 

BBC Two’s Paddington: The Man behind the Bear revealed that in 2010, in a letter written to Paddington film producer Rosie Allison, Michael told how children also came to his home from Nazi Germany:

“We took in some Jewish children who often sat in front of the fire every evening, quietly crying because they had no idea what had happened to their parents, and neither did we at the time. It’s the reason why Paddington arrived with the label around his neck”. 

Paddington’s story starts in the jungle of Peru, the film showing how his once peaceful home is destroyed by a huge fire.

With nothing left and nowhere to go, Paddington is forced to make the difficult journey to London, stowed away on a lifeboat in the hope of a better life.

When Paddington arrives, London is not as welcoming as he had expected. He is ignored by almost all passers-by until the Brown family kindly offer him a place to stay. This act of compassion doesn’t just give Paddington the safe haven he deserves, but also brings the Browns together in ways they weren’t expecting.

But Paddington's experience is different to the experiences of many refugees in the UK today. Below are three lessons we can learn from Paddington that could help transform the lives of people seeking safety in the UK.

3 Lessons we can learn from Paddington about refugees in the UK

Paddington Bear was inspired by real-life refugees. But here’s how his experience is different from most people seeking safety in the UK today.

Lesson 1: A Welcoming Home

When Paddington first arrives, he’s lucky to find a friendly home with a family in central London.

Sadly, people seeking asylum in the UK are often much more isolated, placed in hotels, military barracks or even boats that can be cut off from communities and support.

Lesson 2: The Right to Work

While Paddington has a habit of picking up odd jobs to save up money, in reality, most asylum seekers are not allowed to work. Even once they receive refugee status and the right to work, many face huge barriers to finding a job.

However, we know that with proper support, refugees are able to rebuild their lives and contribute to their host country.

Research has shown that allowing asylum seekers to work could boost the UK economy by £333 million per year, and helping refugees into work could bring in £1.2 billion over 5 years.

Lesson 3: Documents

You might have seen the recent news that Paddington was given a UK passport by the government, cementing his rights as a British citizen.

Identity documents aren’t just essential for travel – they’re also important for things like starting a job or finding a place to live.

But in the current system, people seeking safety often wait months or even years before they’re given official status and documents. The average wait for an asylum seeker in the UK is 21 months, and for some people, it takes much longer.

Paddington is a powerful symbol

Paddington is a powerful symbol of what refugees can bring to their host countries when they are welcomed and supported – even if they happen to arrive irregularly.

We know that with the right help, people seeking safety can contribute a lot to the UK - making current policies seem a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

Inspired by the warm welcome Paddington receives, we should be speeding up decision-making, giving asylum seekers the right to work, and providing support for refugees to rebuild their lives. 

With 30 million books sold in 30 languages worldwide and two hit films, Paddington continues to teach us the power of welcome. His lesson lives on.

Learn more

• Why can't refugees and asylum seekers travel freely to safety? Understanding the power of passports
• Refugee FAQs: Key questions answered
• Quiz: Which Famous Celebrities are also refugees?

Photos: Martin Pettitt, Creative Commons and Dave Pearce, Creative Commons.