British immigration policy since 1939 The making of multi-racial Britain

Description

British immigration policy since 1939In 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.