Introduction

This book, first published in 1978, examines the debate over immigration into Britain and raises the important point that the existence in the country of immigrant and minority groups is nothing new. Britain has, in fact, attracted newcomers throughout most of its history and it is to remedy the deficiency of research and knowledge about these early immigration processes that the present volume has been put together. Composed of a number of essays written from different perspectives by specialists in different areas, it attempts overall to provide a tightly integrated review of the major research areas, themes and problems involved in immigration studies.