British Immigration Policy Since 1939: The Making of Multi-Racial Britain

In the space of less than half a century, Britain has shifted from being a virtually all-white society to a multi-racial society with important Asian and black communities. This volume traces this transition, from the Second World War, through the restrictive legislation on immigration in the 1960s, to the present day. Based on a detailed examination of recently released archival material, Ian Spencer’s book outlines the chronology and explores the nature of Asian and black immigration since 1939 and evaluates the role of government in regulating the movement. Spencer contends that the settlement of Asian and black people was met by a barrage of restrictive measures. He argues that Britain became a multi-racial society despite, rather than because of, the policies of both Labour and Conservative governments.