Introduction

This is the first survey of British immigration policy to include both its pre-World War Two origins and its development after the crucial 1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act. It is an accessible introduction to a subject of increasing popularity with students and academics. It also integrates the results of extensive archival research. Offering a different perspective to sociological approaches, British Immigration Policy since 1939 will be of interest to historians, political scientists, and those studying public and social policy.