Search Metropolitan Police, Aliens Registration Office 1876-1965
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Did your ancestor travel to Britain to escape persecution? Delve deeper into the history of immigration and refugee experiences with these alien registration cards digitised from The National Archives (MEPO 35). The cards include a photograph and rich details about individual lives. These records offer valuable personal details and unique insights into the lives of those who settled in London during a period of significant change.
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With every search results you will be given a transcript and an image of the original archival image. The transcript will include the following vital facts:
Name
Birth year
Year of the record
Country of origin
Nationality
Archive reference and Archive
The images will provide you with even more details. You will find multiple cards images for each person. Most cards will include a photograph as well as:
Date of birth
Date of arrival in the UK
Employment history
Residential addresses including last residence outside the UK
Occupation
Marital status
Details of children
Date of naturalisation, where applicable
Home Office reference numbers
War service
Images are only available for individuals born more than 100 years ago.
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This collection contains surviving alien registration cards for individuals who lived in the London area. The images were created from The National Archives’ MEPO 35 Series. While only around 1,000 cases survive from the many tens of thousands of foreign nationals who were resident in London from 1914 onwards, these records provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of immigrants who made Britain their home.
The collection also reflects the significant migration of the late 1930s, when many Germans and Eastern Europeans fled Nazi persecution and sought refuge in the UK. One example is Ernst Freud and his family (MEPO 35/29/4), whose registration cards survive within the series.
The dates covered by each record generally represent the period during which an individual was classified as an alien in the UK and required to register with the authorities. This system remained in place until the Aliens Order 1960 came into force on 1 January 1961. The new legislation led to the abolition of the central register for most foreign nationals, retaining registration requirements only for those subject to specific immigration conditions.
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