����ý

Expansion and empire

In the 19th century there was a good deal of migration into and out of Britain, however the government was not really involved in issues of migration. There were no laws governing the entry of people into the country, apart from some very loosely operated registration systems.

However, by the end of the 19th century there was some public protest about the level of immigration, especially from Eastern Europe into London. A lot of these immigrants were of Jewish heritage, and they were often fleeing from anti-semitic persecution in Europe. The protests in London took place because English workers feared they might lose their jobs to the migrants, who seemed prepared to work for less money.

Captain William Stanley Shaw formed the British Brothers League (BBL) in 1902 to campaign in East London against immigration. The BBL was connected to the local Stepney Member of Parliament (MP), William Evans-Gordon, who led moves to pass an Aliens Act to restrict immigration.

Aliens Act 1905

The Act introduced categories of migrants that could be refused entry into Britain, including criminals and those who could not work to support themselves and their family. The first border control force was established to enforce the Aliens Act.