Photo: JOHN SMITH (IFL) TODAY movements As early as 1895 the Independent (Jewish) Tailors Union sent Cardiff delegate to the Trades Union Congress to encoulage unionists campaign against proposals tor im migration control.
LIlt sallic vcal Joseph Finn, leading Jewish trade unionist and socialist, wrote a pamphlet 'The Voice of the Alien' and helped to organise a meeting of Jewish workers at the Great Assembly Hall in London lo encourage English workers to support the Jewish struggle.
This have emerged against immigration controls and nationality laws. We should not forget that similar strug gles occurred at the start of this century. Federation - blamed the Boer war on 'Jewish capital.
Less well-known is the fact that both Ben Tillet and Tom Mann, who enand dockers TAlK leaders and socialists, spoke openly in favour of immigration control (see London Evening News of 26 May and 19 June 1891).
Howevel there notable exceptions. William Morris and the Socialist League consistently opposed all immigration CORTTOI though their organisation ceased to exist by the turn of the century.
In 1904 the Independent Labour Party issued a pamphlet "The Foreigner in England' arguing controls. the same year the established a Mancheste Alien Immigration Bill Protection Committee This held regular city Hiccules aru aucullulsli d tion to Heaton Park.
'The Aliens Act was eventually passed, thougt much modified due to the opposition it received. A1 the same time the Jews were protesting against the naturalisation laws. • These laws made it extremely difficult for Jews to become British citizens. Issue In 1901 London Jews established a Naturalisation Agency to fight the laws. 1907 mass demonstrations of were organised in Leeds and Manchester allo deputation sent to Parlia ment. In 1908 the Jewish Social Democratic Federa. tion supported a socialist candidate in Cheetham Manchester against Wins.
against the naturalisation laws in the early 1900s was over exactly the same issues today. Firstly there (ther now £150). Secondl!
there were objections ic internal surveillance and investigation by the Home Office on all applicants Thirdly inability to aicitizenship made extremel!
precarious for Jews once in this country to leave i:
as there was no guarante:
of re-admission.
This particular cam.paign against state semitism was cessful. Today we have ::
it and make sure that we win the can.paign against state racist as represented by the in.
migration and national:
laws.
For more informatio about the Jewish Group write 1o JSG. B.M 725, London WC 16 April 1961 Page".
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ton Churchill solely on the issue of naturalisation. Moreover the struggle