(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/72
Image Reference:0029
SECRET
C.(54) 379
6th D e c e m b e r ,
C O P Y NO,
1954
CABINET
C O L ON IA L I M M I G R A N T S
M e m o r a n d u m b y t h e S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e f o r t h e
Colonies
It is v i r t u a l l y c e r t a i n that this G o v e r n m e n t or its s u c c e s s o r
w i l l b e d r i v e n b y e v e n t s a n d b y t h e p r e s s u r e of p u b l i c o p i n i o n t o e n a c t
l e g i s l a t i o n c o n t r o l l i n g t h e i m m i g r a t i o n i n t o t h i s c o u n t r y of B r i t i s h s u b j e c t s
from overseas.
O u r p r o b l e m is h o w to b a l a n c e a g a i n s t e a c h o t h e r on
the one hand the n e e d to take a c t i o n a s soon a s p o s s i b l e , before the p r o b l e m
of c o l o u r e d i m m i g r a t i o n i n t o t h i s c o u n t r y h a s g o n e m u c h f u r t h e r a n d l e a d s
t o s o c i a l and i n d u s t r i a l p r o b l e m s d a m a g i n g to this c o u n t r y and to our
r e l a t i o n s w i t h c o l o u r e d p e o p l e s o v e r s e a s , a n d on t h e o t h e r t h e n e e d t o
c a r r y r e s p o n s i b l e p a r l i a m e n t a r y and public opinion with us to the g r e a t e s t
p o s s i b l e e x t e n t b o t h in w h a t we do a n d in t h e w a y we do i t .
2.
M y i n i t i a l f e e l i n g w a s t h a t t h e a p p o i n t m e n t of a D e p a r t m e n t a l
C o m m i t t e e , a s p r o p o s e d b y t h e H o m e S e c r e t a r y i n C . (54) 3 5 4 w a s s i m p l y
p o s t p o n i n g t h e i s s u e , a n d t h a t w e h a d a l r e a d y , i n t h e s h a p e of v a r i o u s
official r e p o r t s , quite enough m a t e r i a l to enable u s to t a k e a d e c i s i o n n o w .
H o w e v e r , b e a r i n g in m i n d the fact t h a t it would p r o b a b l y be i m p o s s i b l e to
find P a r l i a m e n t a r y t i m e for l e g i s l a t i o n on t h i s s u b j e c t d u r i n g the f o r t h ­
c o m i n g S e s s i o n , a n a n n o u n c e m e n t of t h e G o v e r n m e n t s i n t e n t i o n t o
legislate might simply serve a s an invitation to potential i m m i g r a n t s to
r u s h to this c o u n t r y while the going w a s good, and provide far too long a n
i n t e r v a l for p u b l i c d e b a t e a n d e x a c e r b a t i o n .
Moreover, although there
a r e m a n y s i g n s t h a t r e s p o n s i b l e p u b l i c opinion is m o v i n g in the d i r e c t i o n
of f a v o u r i n g i m m i g r a t i o n c o n t r o l , t h e r e i s s t i l l t o m y m i n d a g o o d d e a l t o
b e d o n e b e f o r e i t i s s o l i d l y i n f a v o u r of i t .
I believe t h e r e f o r e that the
a p p o i n t m e n t of a C o m m i t t e e a s p r o p o s e d b y t h e H o m e S e c r e t a r y w o u l d h a v e
t h e d o u b l e a d v a n t a g e of e n a b l i n g u s t o p o s t p o n e a n a n n o u n c e m e n t of o u r
p o l i c y u n t i l n e a r e r t h e t i m e w h e n t h e n e c e s s a r y l e g i s l a t i o n c o u l d be p u t in
h a n d , a n d of e n a b l i n g p u b l i c o p i n i o n t o d e v e l o p f u r t h e r a n d b e c r y s t a l l i s e d .
3.
On t h e a s s u m p t i o n t h e r e f o r e t h a t a C o m m i t t e e w i l l b e s e t u p ,
I d o not t h i n k it n e c e s s a r y h e r e a n d n o w t o e n t e r into a r g u m e n t s on t h e
point whether control legislation should apply to a l l o v e r s e a s British
s u b j e c t s o r t o o v e r s e a s c i t i z e n s of t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m a n d t h e C o l o n i e s
(i, e . p r e d o m i n a n t l y c o l o u r e d p e r s o n s only) although I m a y s a y h e r e and
n o w t h a t for r e a s o n s which I would d e v e l o p at the a p p r o p r i a t e t i m e I would
h a v e the g r a v e s t m i s g i v i n g s about the latter p r o p o s i t i o n .
For present
p u r p o s e s , h o w e v e r , I a m quite c l e a r that, without prejudice to whatever
d e c i s i o n m a y l a t e r be r e a c h e d a t the a p p r o p r i a t e t i m e , we should
s t r e n u o u s l y avoid doing or saying anything now which could be i n t e r p r e t e d
as favouring racially discriminatory action.
That m e a n s to m y mind that
t h e t e r m s of r e f e r e n c e of t h e p r o p o s e d C o m m i t t e e s h o u l d a v o i d l a n g u a g e
w h i c h could be i n t e r p r e t e d a s a n invitation to c o n s i d e r d i s c r i m i n a t o r y
proposals.
I f e a r t h a t t h e u s e of t h e w o r d s " a n y c l a s s of" b e f o r e
" B r i t i s h s u b j e c t s " i n t h e t h i r d a n d f o u r t h l i n e s of t h e t e r m s of r e f e r e n c e
p r o p o s e d i n p a r a g r a p h 7 of C . (54) 3 5 4 w o u l d c e r t a i n l y b e i n t e r p r e t e d i n
that w a y both h e r e a n d in the C o l o n i e s , w h a t e v e r other e x p l a n a t i o n we
sought to put upon t h e m .
Indeed I do not know what other explanation
could p l a u s i b l y be put f o r w a r d .
4.
I incline a l s o to the view that we should d e a l with deportation
and i m m i g r a t i o n control together, that is to say r e m i t the whole subject
t o the p r o p o s e d D e p a r t m e n t a l C o m m i t t e e a n d not now a n n o u n c e t h a t we
p r o p o s e t o g o a h e a d w i t h d e p o r t a t i o n l e g i s l a t i o n , if o n l y b e c a u s e of t h e
l a p s e of t i m e b e t w e e n a n a n n o u n c e m e n t of t h i s k i n d n o w a n d t h e t i m e w h e n
it could be t r a n s l a t e d into legislation.
I d o n o t t h i n k a n a n n o u n c e m e n t of
t h i s k i n d w o u l d h a v e a n y n o t i c e a b l y d e t e r r e n t effect on i m m i g r a t i o n , s i n c e
I d o n o t i m a g i n e t h a t m a n y of t h e i m m i g r a n t s w h o c a u s e u s c o n c e r n
a c t u a l l y s e t o u t w i t h t h e i n t e n t i o n o r e x p e c t a t i o n of b e h a v i n g i n s u c h a w a y
a s might conceivably render t h e m liable to deportation.
Indeed m y
A
opinion is that in the long t e r m our t r o u b l e s r e a l l y a r i s e when the
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i m m i g r a n t w o r k e r s m a k e good to the e x t e n t t h a t t h e r e i s s o m e q u e s t i o n
of p u t t i n g t h e m i n p o s i t i o n s of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o v e r U n i t e d K i n g d o m c i t i z e n s .
T h a t I u n d e r s t a n d i s a p r o b l e m w h i c h h a s a r i s e n in c o n n e c t i o n w i t h
i m m i g r a n t w o r k e r s i r r e s p e c t i v e of c o l o u r .
J
A.L-B.
Colonial Office,
4th
S.W.I.
D e c e m b e r , 1954.