Six The development of British immigration policy
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Rosemary Sales
Abstract
Immigration and emigration have been significant elements in Britain’s history. Throughout the nineteenth and for much of the twentieth century, Britain was predominantly an exporter of labour, mainly to its empire. This emigration included the officer class and the settlers who took over land in the empire as well as Britain’s ‘unwanted’ population, who helped provide a labour force in the so-called ‘empty’ lands. Immigration also has a long history, as a result of conquest by others (for example the Romans, Normans and Danes) and of Britain’s own imperialist ventures. Britain has also accepted refugees, including the Huguenots – Protestants fleeing Catholic France – and revolutionaries from Europe. Marx and Lenin both spent time in exile in London and Marx was buried in London’s Highgate Cemetery. The first mass immigration was from Ireland, particularly in the wake of the famine of 1846, and Irish people continue to be Britain’s largest ethnic minority (Hickman and Walter, 1997).
Britain has an uneasy relationship with its immigration history. Holmes (1988) suggested that official accounts of Britain have been unwilling to admit the extent of immigration since it interfered with myths of nationhood based on a common culture. More recently, diversity has been claimed in the name of a particular form of Britishness. The White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven suggested that, ‘British nationality has never been associated with membership of a particular ethnic group. For centuries we have been a multi-ethnic nation. We do not exclude people from citizenship on the basis of their race or ethnicity’ (Home Office, 2002a: 10).
Abstract
Immigration and emigration have been significant elements in Britain’s history. Throughout the nineteenth and for much of the twentieth century, Britain was predominantly an exporter of labour, mainly to its empire. This emigration included the officer class and the settlers who took over land in the empire as well as Britain’s ‘unwanted’ population, who helped provide a labour force in the so-called ‘empty’ lands. Immigration also has a long history, as a result of conquest by others (for example the Romans, Normans and Danes) and of Britain’s own imperialist ventures. Britain has also accepted refugees, including the Huguenots – Protestants fleeing Catholic France – and revolutionaries from Europe. Marx and Lenin both spent time in exile in London and Marx was buried in London’s Highgate Cemetery. The first mass immigration was from Ireland, particularly in the wake of the famine of 1846, and Irish people continue to be Britain’s largest ethnic minority (Hickman and Walter, 1997).
Britain has an uneasy relationship with its immigration history. Holmes (1988) suggested that official accounts of Britain have been unwilling to admit the extent of immigration since it interfered with myths of nationhood based on a common culture. More recently, diversity has been claimed in the name of a particular form of Britishness. The White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven suggested that, ‘British nationality has never been associated with membership of a particular ethnic group. For centuries we have been a multi-ethnic nation. We do not exclude people from citizenship on the basis of their race or ethnicity’ (Home Office, 2002a: 10).
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- Detailed contents viii
- List of tables and boxes xiii
- Acknowledgements xiv
- Introduction: immigration policy in the twenty-first century 1
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Understanding migration
- Contemporary migration flows: continuities and new directions 21
- Explaining migration 45
- Forced migration 69
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Understanding migration and refugee policy
- Contemporary immigration policy making 97
- The development of British immigration policy 129
- Britain’s managed migration policy 161
- Living with immigration policy 187
- The future of immigration policy: immigration controls, immigration and citizenship 211
- Further information for researching migration policy 243
- References 247
- Index 269
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- Detailed contents viii
- List of tables and boxes xiii
- Acknowledgements xiv
- Introduction: immigration policy in the twenty-first century 1
-
Understanding migration
- Contemporary migration flows: continuities and new directions 21
- Explaining migration 45
- Forced migration 69
-
Understanding migration and refugee policy
- Contemporary immigration policy making 97
- The development of British immigration policy 129
- Britain’s managed migration policy 161
- Living with immigration policy 187
- The future of immigration policy: immigration controls, immigration and citizenship 211
- Further information for researching migration policy 243
- References 247
- Index 269
