In the space of less than half a century, Britain has shifted from being a virtually all-white society to a multi-racial society with important Asian and black communities. "British Immigration Policy Since 1939" traces this transition from the Second World War, through the restrictive legislation on immigration in the 1960s, up to the present day. Based on a detailed examination of recently released archival material, Ian Spencer outlines the chronology and explores the nature of Asian and black immigration since 1939 and evaluates the role of government in regulating the movement. He argues that Britain became a multi-racial society despite, rather than because of, the policies of both Labour and Conservative governments.