GVM 6/2
CONFIDENTIAL
IGLOTNY COPY
will
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Clive House Petty France London SW).
7 January 1971
Dear High Commissioner/Governor,
IMMIGRATION BILL: NOTIFICATION OF COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENTS
1. I am now able to send you details of the new immigration legislation. I enclose a copy of a paper summarising the draft Bill and immigration rules, which will give effect to the Government's policy of establishing a permanent and unified system of control over all immigration. Superintending Missions should send copies to their subordinate posts, as appropriate.
2. The Bill will principally affect people coming to the United Kingdom for employment. By and large, uniform conditions will be attached to the entry of both Commonwealth citizens and aliens, and the former will lose the right to enter for settle- ment at the outset. In future, they will enter on work permits valid initially for one year and will register with the police. Extensions of stay will be conditional upon the applicant remaining in approved employment. After four years' residence, the permit holder will be eligible to apply to have the conditions of stay revoked. Visitors and working holiday- makers will continue to be admitted on substantially the present basis. There will be no change in the position of Commonwealth immigrants already settled here and there is to be no question of forced repatriation. The legislation does not turn Commonwealth citizens into aliens or affect their status as British subjects under existing nationality law.
3. The justification for the new approach is that the growth of the communities of immigrants, to a total of some 14 million people and their concentration in certain conurbations where employment is available, but which were already experiencing pressure on social amenities, makes further large-scale immigration unacceptable. The emphasis, in future, will be on the establishment of good race relations in Britain and all immigrants, whatever their country of origin or race, will continue to be afforded full equality of treatment.
4. The form of the new legislation was approved by the Ministers on 5 January. Ministers also decided:
(a)
that control should continue to be exercised over the level of Commonwealth immigration, which will be reduced to an intake of 2,000 work permit- holders a year, from the present level of 4,000.
LETTER SENT, AS LIST ATTACHED.
CONFIDENTIAL