Gresham College

The Immigration Act 1971: Celebrated or Flawed?

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On 30 September 2021, Gresham College broadcast a 1-hour lecture by Professor Leslie Thomas QC and David Neale.

It’s really worth watching as it gives an excellent background to the history of Britain’s immigration law which will be of interest to anyone who works as an MP’s caseworker, particularly those who process immigration casework.

Here’s the lecture summary:

“Commonwealth citizens once enjoyed the right to live, work and settle in the UK without any restrictions. But a racist backlash against Black and Asian immigration led to legislators introducing immigration controls in the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962, which were broadened by the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968 to deprive East African Asians of the right to settle in the UK. Its shameful successor, the Immigration Act 1971 continues to form the basis of our xenophobic immigration laws today.”

You can watch the lecture on Gresham College’s website here: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/immigration-act

COVID-19 – a lecture by Professor Chris Whitty

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Time: 18:00

Date: Thursday 30 April 2020

Where: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/covid-19

At the time of writing, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has killed many thousands worldwide, infected many more – and changed lives around the world in ways that were unimaginable just weeks ago.

What is COVID-19, how has it been managed and what role will science play in combating it? Gresham Professor of Physic (and Chief Medical Officer for England) Chris Whitty, one of the key figures in the UK’s fight against the disease, will explain what we know – and what we don’t.