Colin Plen is not quite right. The Shelter was established in 1885 in
order to provide temporary shelter (lasting 14 days) to Jews arriving in
London. The 'established' Jews on the whole did not approve of it in
case it gave the appearance of encouraging immigration of Jews from
Eastern Europe, although it is true that the Rothschilds financed it at
the beginning. While many of those arriving at the Shelter had through
tickets for America and elsewhere many settled in England. The work of
the Shelter was to provide temporary accommodation. Those who had
through tickets to America were looked after by the shipping companies.
Those who had addresses of relations in or near London were escorted
there by the Shelter's representatives.

It was the (London) Jewish Board of Guardians which encouraged
immigrants to move on to other places in Britain or abroad or to return
to Eastern Europe, but perhaps 150,000 Jews stayed in Britain between
the 1880s and 1914.

Harold Pollins
Oxford, England
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In England there was an establishment of Jews who had been there for many
years. As they saw what the Germans called the Ostjuden, the poor Jews from
the East, coming into the country they decided that numbers of this class
of Jew coming into England would lower them in the eyes of the English
gentiles. So they set up the refuge in order to care for the poor Jews and
get them out of the country as soon as possible. They were sent on to
America, South Africa, Australia, so as not to embarass themselves.
The Shelter was indeed a shelter and a tzedakah was performed but it was
done to hurry the embarassments out of the country.
Colin Plen
Jewish Genealogical Society Johannesburg