A few important dates and figures :

The Commonwealth : political association of 54 member states, mostly former British

colonies, all over the world. 31 members are small states, among which are islands nations
from the Caribbean (Jamaica, Barbados…)
When the Empire Windrush passenger ship docked at Tilbury from Jamaica on 22 June 1948,
it marked the start of the postwar immigration boom which was to change British society.
The British Nationality Act (1948) paved the way to immigrants from the West Indies who
came in to rebuild Britain after WWII. It gave full rights of entry to all the Caribbean and
other Commonwealth populations.
By 1961, about 161,000 people living in England and Wales were born in the Caribbean.
The Commonwealth Immigrants Act (1962) restricted opportunities for entry.
The Immigration Act (1971) restricted the access to citizenship, people who were already in
the UK could stay but it was harder to immigrate.
The Hostile Environment Policy : introduced by Theresa May in 2012. It was a set of
measures that aimed to make staying in the UK as difficult as possible for people without
permanent residency. The Immigration Acts of 2014 and 2016 made these restrictions official
and reinforced them.
Theresa May :
- Member of Parliament from 1997 on.
- 2010-2016 : Home Secretary of State (Secrétaire d’Etat/ Intérieur)
- 2016-2019 : British Prime Minister / Leader of the Conservative Party