British Immigration Policy Since 1939: The Making Of Multi-racial Britain

British immigration policy since 1939 In the space of less than half a century, Britain has shifted from being a virtually all-white society to one in which ethnicity and race are significant social and political factors. This book traces the chronology of this transition from the Second World War, through the first restrictive legislation on immigration in the 1960s, to the development of powerful ethnic communities in modern British society. Based on a detailed study of recently released archival material, Ian Spencer’s book is unique in its coverage of post-war immigration from a historical perspective. From this evidence, Spencer contends that the settlement of black and Asian people was not welcomed at any stage by the British government. The author documents the restrictive measures which failed to prevent the rapid influx in the late 1950s and 1960s of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and nationalities who displayed considerable initiative in overcoming obstacles placed in their way. Ian R.G.Spencer is an independent consultant working in education and equal opportunities. He is the former Head of History, De Montfort University, Leicester. British immigration policy since 1939 The making of multi-racial Britain Ian R.G.Spencer London and New York First published 1997 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003. Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 © 1997 Ian R.G.Spencer All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Spencer, Ian R.G. British immigration policy since 1939: the making of multi-racial Britain/Ian R.G.Spencer. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Great Britain—Emigration and immigration—Government policy— History—20th century. 2. Great Britain—Politics and government— 20th century. 2. Great Britain—Politics and government— 1936– . I. Title. JV7633.S64 1997 96–9867 325.41¢09¢045–dc20 CIP ISBN 0-203-43703-9 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-74527-2 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-13695-4 (Print Edition) ISBN 0-415-13696-2 (pbk) To SULEMAN PREMJI MAWANI (1912–1995) Contents List of figures List of tables List of abbreviations Preface ix x xi xii 1 The origins of multi-racial Britain A twentieth-century story The first settled communities, 1850–1939 Government policy and the growth of communities, 1919–39 The Second World War 1 1 5 8 13 2 Immigration policy in practice, 1945–55 The myth of civis Britannicus, sum The issue and endorsement of travel documents Publicity and passages Stowaways, one-way sailors and unemployed seamen Asian and black labour and economic recovery, 1945–55 ‘Coloured’ immigration and the official mind, 1945–55 A policy of obstruction