This blog post will discuss Jill Pellew’s article in the Historical Journal, ‘The Home Office and the Aliens act, 1905’.

The article talks about how the 1905 Aliens act was brought about in Britain. Pellow suggests this was due to a number of reasons, including the increase in Jewish refugees, home office concern that rising migration was a threat, and the increase in support for anti-immigration MPs.

Many Jewish refugees were arriving from Eastern Europe and Russia at the end of the 1800s, either fleeing persecution or simply looking for a better life. Many were heading to the United States of America, but some stayed and found work, particularly in tailoring. The high numbers of immigrants and the fear that many would not continue on to the USA helped lead to the creation of the 1905 Aliens act.

Pellew explains that there was a concern in the Home Office about a possible threat from the increase in rising migration, which was thought could come in the form of political instability or criminality. There was a particular fear about anarchists entering Britain, as there had been a wave of anarchist terrorism across Europe during the end of the 19^th century. This fear about the political and moral backgrounds of migrants contributed to the 1905 act being created.

The article also suggests that the idea for an Aliens act really gained momentum in 1900 when a number of Unionist MPs gained seats in the east end of London, largely by supporting an anti-alien political line.

Pellew also gives some information as to what changes the act made. For example, the 1905 act stated that certain ports where ships were allowed to discharge passengers would now have immigration officers at them. These immigration officers would have the power to reject any ‘undesirable’ immigrants. An undesirable immigrant was specified in the act as someone who could not ‘decently’ support themselves and their dependants (although there was a special clause which made an exception for immigrants who were seeking entry as political or religious refugees). ‘Undesirables’ also included lunatics or idiots, those sentenced in a foreign country with which there was an extradition treaty, and those who already had an extradition treaty made against them.

The article also mentions that Winston Churchill agreed with home office officials that there should be a miniature Ellis Island facility in Britain, as it made it more difficult for ‘undesirable’ immigrants to evade detection.

Of the immigrants who were rejected due to the 1905 Aliens act, half of them appealed. Of this half, 38 per cent were successful.