Building Britain’s Borders

The Aliens Act of 1905 created a new type of immigrant to the UK and a new means of controlling them.

Italian street musicians in London, by John Thomson, 1877. J. Paul Getty Museum. Public Domain.

The Aliens Act of 1905 was the first attempt by the British Parliament to establish a system of controlled migration. As such it is seen by historians as a watershed moment, putting an end to the Victorian ‘golden age’ of migration, which, with its ever-decreasing transport costs and growing demand for labour, saw the movement of people reach unprecedented levels. The Act ushered in a new era of increasing border controls, seen as the main way to regulate whoever could enter the country.

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