Immigration Act 1971

The Immigration Act 1971 is a law of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that received royal assent on October 28, 1971, and came into force on January 1, 1973. It reshaped British immigration law by ending the general right of Commonwealth citizens to settle freely in the United Kingdom and introducing the concept of patriality, or right of abode, which limited unrestricted entry and residence to citizens of the United Kingdom and colonies who had a defined connection to the UK itself, such as birth or descent there. The act took effect at the same time Britain was entering the European Communities, and it gave citizens of other member states a practical priority over most Commonwealth citizens seeking to live and work in the country. It remains one of the foundational statutes of modern British immigration control.