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Immigration

A West Indian bus conductor on a London Transport bus in September 1958.

A West Indian bus conductor on a London Transport bus in September 1958.
©TopFoto

Many Irish people immigrated to Britain during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Among other immigrant groups, there was also an influx of Eastern European Jews between 1870 and 1914. After 1945, Commonwealth immigration became a significant and controversial political issue.

Related documents

Labour shortage and a declining population

Cabinet Memorandum. British Nationality Bill. Memorandum by the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. 4 May 1948 (PDF, 0.556MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 8. British Nationality Bill. 6 May 1948 (PDF, 1.782MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. British Nationality Bill. 22 June 1948 (PDF, 1.347MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. British Nationality Bill. 22 July 1948 (PDF, 2.272MB)

Increased immigration

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Coloured People from British Colonial Territories. 19 June 1950 (PDF, 1.385MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Coloured People from British Colonial Territories. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 18 May 1950 (PDF, 1.256MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Immigration of British Subjects into the United Kingdom. Note by the Home Secretary. 12 February 1951 (PDF, 2.648MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Welsh Affairs. 22 November 1954 (PDF, 0.447MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. 23 November 1954 (PDF, 0.396MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Colonial Immigrants. 24 November 1954 (PDF, 1.475MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 6 December 1954 (PDF, 0.368MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 7. Colonial Immigrants. 6 December 1954 (PDF, 1.449MB)

Discrimination and immigration restrictions

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 11 June 1955 (PDF, 3.301MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants. Note by the Secretary of Sate for the Home Department and Minister for Welsh Affairs. 22 August 1955 (PDF, 2.042MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. 2 September 1955 (PDF, 0.327MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants: Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Welsh Affairs. 29 October 1955 (PDF, 1.758MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants Report of the Committee of Ministers. 22 June 1956 (PDF, 1.871MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Colonial Immigrants. Supplementary Report of the Committee of Ministers. 14 November 1956 (PDF, 1.427MB)

Notting Hill riots

Cabinet Memorandum. Commonwealth Immigrants. Memorandum by the Lord President of the Council. 20 June 1958 (PDF, 1.918MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 7. Commonwealth Immigrants. 1 July 1958 (PDF, 1.204MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Racial Disturbances. 8 September 1958 (PDF, 1.162MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Racial Disturbances. 11 September 1958 (PDF, 2.406MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Commonwealth Immigrants. Memorandum by the Lord Chancellor. 20 January 1959 (PDF, 3.675MB)

The Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962

Cabinet Memorandum. Coloured Immigration from the Commonwealth. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. 15 November 1960 (PDF, 0.429MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 8. Commonwealth Immigrants. 25 November 1960 (PDF, 1.166MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Commonwealth Migrants Memorandum by the Lord Chancellor. 26 May 1961 (PDF, 0.594MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Commonwealth Migrants Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. 6 October 1961 (PDF, 3.885MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Commonwealth Immigrants. 10 October 1961 (PDF, 1.626MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Commonwealth Immigration: Consultation with other Governments. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. 3 November 1964 (PDF, 0.449MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Commonwealth Immigration. 5 November 1964 (PDF, 0.830MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Commonwealth Immigration. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. 29 January 1965 (PDF, 1.518MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Commonwealth Immigration. 1 February 1965 (PDF, 0.830MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Commonwealth Immigration. Memorandum by the Lord President of the Council. 23 July 1965 (PDF, 8.386MB)

Cabinet Conclusions. Commonwealth Immigration. 27 July 1965 (PDF, 1.191MB)

The Commonwealth Immigration Act of 1968

Cabinet Memorandum. Immigration Legislation. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. 12 February 1968 (PDF, 2.538MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Immigration Legislation. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs. 12 February 1968 (PDF, 0.408MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Legislation: Commonwealth Immigration. 15 February 1968 (PDF, 2.178MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Legislation: Commonwealth Immigration. 22 February 1968 (PDF, 3.133MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Legislation: Commonwealth Immigration. 27 February 1968 (PDF, 2.302MB)

The Immigration Act of 1971

Cabinet Conclusion 6. Immigration. 26 November 1970 (PDF, 2.058MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Immigration Policy. 13 May 1971 (PDF, 1.117MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Immigration Policy. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. 10 May 1971 (PDF, 0.617MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Oversea Affairs: Uganda. 17 October 1972 (PDF, 2.300MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. United Kingdom Passport Holders in Uganda. Note by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Lord President of the Council. 6 September 1972 (PDF, 0.760MB)

Search using Commonwealth immigration British Nationality Act

Further reading

Glennerster, H., British Social Policy 1945 to the Present (Oxford: Blackwell, 2007)
Holmes, C., John Bull's Island: Immigration and British Society 1871-1971. (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 1988)
Jones, C., Immigration and Social Policy in Britain. (London: Tavistock, 1977)
Layton-Henry, Z., The Politics of Immigration: 'Race' and 'Race' Relations in Post-war Britain. (Oxford: Blackwell, 1992)
Spencer, I.R.G., British Immigration Policy Since 1939: The Making of Multi-racial Britain. (London: Routledge, 1997)

Content

Immigration
Origins of Commonwealth immigration
Commonwealth Immigration control and legislation

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