Fundamental to the Anglo-Israel argument is the belief that all significant parts of the house of Israel went into captivity. Biblical and archeological scholars harbor serious doubts about the accuracy of this view. They generally believe that the biblical and archeological evidence proves that many Israelites did not go into captivity but remained in the land. These Israelites then either mixed with the new gentile immigrants or became a significant part of the southern nation of Judah. Let's think about this for a moment, starting not with the captivity, but the apostasy of Jeroboam.
History gives many examples of religious persecution.
Often we see that those who value their faith choose flight or emigration rather than surrender to religious oppression. The Bible records what happened. When Jeroboam tried to suppress the faith, there was a massive movement of Israelites southward into Judah. Every tribe was represented in this mass migration. Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their fathers.