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License Agreement on scientific materials use.
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Margaret Humphreys: from social worker to puppet of British reconciliation policy (1980s-2010s)
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Natalia Valentinovna Khoreva
Arzamas Branch of the National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod
Olga Vasilyevna Yablonskaya
Arzamas Branch of the National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod
Anastasia Anatolyevna Pronina
Arzamas Branch of the National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod
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Submitted:
June 1, 2026
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Abstract.
The study aims to trace the evolution of Margaret Humphreys’ activities in the context of state reconciliation policies in the United Kingdom and Australia – from her solo investigation in 1986 to her participation in official apology ceremonies in 2009-2010 – and to determine her impact on the recognition of the tragedy of British child migrants. Based on the analysis of parliamentary reports, materials from the IICSA (2018) investigation, and official documents, Humphreys’ journey from an ordinary social worker to an integral element of state reconciliation policy is reconstructed. The scientific novelty lies in identifying Humphreys’ dual role: on the one hand, as an initiator of the state policy revision and the creator of an institutional mechanism for family reunification; on the other hand, as a structural element of historical memory management that legitimized a limited recognition of guilt. The study establishes that while Humphreys’ activities contributed to the official recognition of the tragedy and the restoration of the identity of thousands of victims, her authority was ultimately exploited by governments to symbolically “work through” the traumatic past without committing to full compensation obligations.
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Key words and phrases:
Маргарет Хамфрис
детская эмиграция из Великобритании
политика примирения
Фонд доверия детей-мигрантов
историческая память
Margaret Humphreys
child migration from the United Kingdom
reconciliation policy
Child Migrants Trust
historical memory
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