In the late 1930s, when Jews in Germany and Austria were in mortal danger, few countries, including the wealthy United States, were prepared to take in more than a handful of refugees. Britain allowed about 10,000 Jewish children to come in 1939, at the very last minute, but only if they had local sponsors and left their parents behind.
当今德国的心态可能绝无仅有。接收难民或任何移民从来就不是轻而易举的政治推销。20世纪30年代末，当德国和奥地利犹太人遭受致命威胁时，没有几个国家（包括富裕的美国在内）愿意接收超过少量的难民。1939年最后时刻英国允许约10，000名犹太儿童前来英国，但前提是他们在当地要有人抚养，并且离开自己的父母。