# Aliens Act 1793 > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Aliens_Act_1793 > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Aliens_Act_1793.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_Act_1793 > Source revision: 1357252288 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Act of the Parliament of Great Britain Aliens Act 1793 Act of Parliament Parliament of Great Britain Long title An Act for establishing Regulations respecting Aliens arriving in this Kingdom, or resident therein in certain Cases. Citation 33 Geo. 3. c. 4 Introduced by Lord Grenville (Lords) Territorial extent Great Britain Dates Royal assent 8 January 1793 Commencement 10 January 1793[a] Expired 1 January 1794[b] Repealed 21 August 1871 Other legislation Repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1871 Status: Repealed Text of statute as originally enacted The **Aliens Act 1793** ([33 Geo. 3](/source/33_Geo._3). c. 4) was an [act](/source/Act_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) of the [Parliament of Great Britain](/source/Parliament_of_Great_Britain) regulating immigration into the country, in relation with the question of the [French Emigration](/source/French_emigration_(1789%E2%80%931815)) during the [Revolution](/source/French_Revolution). Introduced into the House of Lords by [Lord Grenville](/source/William_Grenville%2C_1st_Baron_Grenville) on 19 December 1792, the act was given high priority during the parliamentary session.[1] Despite the concerns of the opposition party, the act became law on 8 January 1793. ## Context ### French Emigration (1789-1815) [French Emigration (1789-1815)](/source/French_Emigration_(1789%E2%80%931815)) refers to the mass movement of citizens from France to neighbouring countries in reaction to the bloodshed and upheaval caused by the [French Revolution](/source/French_Revolution) and [Napoleonic](/source/Napoleon) rule. To escape political tensions and save their lives, many people left France and settled in the neighbouring countries (chiefly Great Britain, Germany, Austria, and Prussia), and a few went to the United States. The number of refugees fleeing into Britain reached its climax in autumn of 1792. In September alone, a total of nearly 4,000 refugees landed in Britain.[1] The country appealed to people because it had a channel separating them from the revolutionaries and because it was known for being tolerant.[2] Emigrants primarily settled in London and Soho, the latter had grown into a thriving French cultural district, complete with French hotels and cuisine, although it had long been a haven for French exiles, housing many thousands of Frenchmen from the last mass migration, of [Huguenots](/source/Huguenots), which occurred in reaction to the [1685 revocation](/source/Edict_of_Fontainebleau) of the [Edict of Nantes](/source/Edict_of_Nantes),[2] and the ensuing [Foreign Protestants Naturalization Act 1708](/source/Foreign_Protestants_Naturalization_Act_1708). ### British fears about the French refugees The uncontrolled influx of foreigners created significant anxiety in government circles. Particularly, the British Government feared the presence of spies and [Jacobin](/source/Jacobin) agents disguised as refugees in the country. J. W. Bruges, secretary of the Foreign Office, wrote to Lord Grenville on 14 September: "By what I can learn, the majority of these people are of a suspicious description, and very likely either to do mischief of their own accord, or to be fit tools of those who may be desirous of creating confusion".[1] Additionally, the newspapers during the latter part of 1792 emphasised strong public suspicions of "Frenchmen in England" and demanded that high control and security measures be placed onto Britain.[1] ### Convening of Parliament On 1 December 1792, in response to this crisis, the King issued a [royal proclamation](/source/Proclamation) pursuant to section 95 of the [Militia Act 1786](/source/Militia_Act_1786) ([26 Geo. 3](/source/26_Geo._3). c. 107) that "the utmost industry was still employed by evil-disposed persons within the kingdom, acting in concert with persons in foreign parts, with a view to subvert the laws and constitution; and that a spirit of tumult and disorder, thereby excited, had lately shown itself in acts of riot and insurrection — And that, these causes moving him thereto, his majesty had resolved forthwith to embody the militia of the kingdom".[3] On the same day, the King issued another royal proclamation convening the Parliament (which stood prorogued until 3 January 1793),[3] which met on 13 December 1792.[4] ## The act The act enforced that aliens be recorded upon arrival and register with the local justice of the peace. More specifically, those who arrived in Great Britain after January 1793 were required to give their names, ranks, occupations, and addresses.[5] Even those who housed or roomed with an alien had to send similar details. It further held that violators of the act could be held without bail or [mainprise](/source/Mainprise), either to be deported or as punishment, a provision that caused critics to decry it as a suspension of *[habeas corpus](/source/Habeas_corpus)*; indeed, its sponsor in Parliament had earlier called it "a bill for suspending the [Habeas Corpus Act](/source/Habeas_Corpus_Act_1679), as far as it should relate to the persons of foreigners."[5] During the war period, the act gave an extraordinary power to the government and placed all foreigners in the country at the mercy of the government. All immigrants feared deportation because of either their political views or security reasons, or, simply because they were regarded as an undesirable persons.[6] ## Consequences Despite in theory being an emergency measured to be renewed annually, it remained in force for over thirty years. Expulsions under the act were limited but it very substantially restricted immigration to Great Britain. Whilst designed for the fear that Jacobins might be hidden amongst royalists fleeing from the French Revolution, it caught all aliens coming to the country and hence had led to sharp decline in Jewish immigration to Great Britain.[7] One illustrious victim of the act seems to have been [Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord](/source/Charles_Maurice_de_Talleyrand-P%C3%A9rigord), who had to leave England to the USA. ## Subsequent developments The whole act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the [Statute Law Revision Act 1871](/source/Statute_Law_Revision_Act_1871) ([34 & 35 Vict.](/source/34_%26_35_Vict.) c. 116). ## See also - [Alien Office](/source/Alien_Office) - [Aliens Act 1905](/source/Aliens_Act_1905) - [Alien and Sedition Acts](/source/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts) - [History of UK immigration control](/source/History_of_UK_immigration_control) ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Section 3. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Section 44. ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_3-3) Dinwiddy, J. R. (1968). ["The Use of the Crown's Power of Deportation under the Aliens Act, 1793–1826"](http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1468-2281.1968.tb01248.x?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_referrer=onlinelibrary.wiley.com&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED_NO_CUSTOMER). *Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research*. **41** (104): 193–211. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1468-2281.1968.tb01248.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1468-2281.1968.tb01248.x). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:4_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:4_4-1) Whittaker, Callum (5 March 2013). [""La Généreuse Nation!" Britain and the French Emigration 1792 – 1802"](https://www.academia.edu/2909048). *www.academia.edu*. Retrieved 30 November 2015. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:02_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:02_5-1) [*Memoirs of the Reign of George III to the Session of Parliament Ending A.D. 1793*](https://google.it.ao/books?id=Bnjlt-L7pQAC&pg=PA500). Vol. 4. pp. 500–501. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Blackstone, William](/source/William_Blackstone) (1800). [*Commentaries on the Laws of England,: In Four Books*](https://books.google.com/books?id=uEcOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA196-IA15). Vol. 1. A. Strahan. p. 187. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_7-1) ["The 1905 Aliens Act | History Today"](http://www.historytoday.com/anne-kershen/1905-aliens-act). *www.historytoday.com*. Retrieved 9 December 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-:2_8-0)** ["Aliens and Immigrants in England and Wales | Learn | FamilySearch.org"](https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Aliens_and_Immigrants_in_England_and_Wales#Eighteenth_century). *familysearch.org*. Retrieved 9 December 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Smilg, Jeremy (2021). *The Jews of England and the revolutionary era, 1789-1815*. Elstree. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-912676-71-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-912676-71-2). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [1237347265](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1237347265).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher)) v t e Legislation of the Parliament of Great Britain Acts by year 1707 1708 1709 1710 1711 1712 1713 1714 1715 1716 1717 1718 1719 1720 1721 1722 1723 1724 1725 1726 1727 1728 1729 1730 1731 1732 1733 1734 1735 1736 1737 1738 1739 1740 1741 1742 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748 1749 1750 1751 1753 1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1759 1760 1761 1762 1763 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 1773 1774 1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 Acts by parliament and session 1 (1) 2 (1, 2) 3 (1, 2, 3) 4 (1, 2) 5 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) 6 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 7 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 8 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 9 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 10 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 11 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) 12 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 13 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 14 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 15 (1, 2, 3, 4) 16 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) 17 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Acts by regnal year Anne 6 Ann. 7 Ann. 8 Ann. 9 Ann. 10 Ann. 12 Ann. 13 Ann. George I 1 Geo. 1. St. 1 1 Geo. 1. St. 2 3 Geo. 1 4 Geo. 1 5 Geo. 1 6 Geo. 1 7 Geo. 1. St. 1 7 Geo. 1. St. 2 8 Geo. 1 9 Geo. 1 10 Geo. 1 11 Geo. 1 12 Geo. 1 13 Geo. 1 George II 1 Geo. 2. St. 1 1 Geo. 2. St. 2 2 Geo. 2 3 Geo. 2 4 Geo. 2 5 Geo. 2 6 Geo. 2 7 Geo. 2 8 Geo. 2 9 Geo. 2 10 Geo. 2 11 Geo. 2 12 Geo. 2 13 Geo. 2 14 Geo. 2 15 Geo. 2 16 Geo. 2 17 Geo. 2 18 Geo. 2 19 Geo. 2 20 Geo. 2 21 Geo. 2 22 Geo. 2 23 Geo. 2 24 Geo. 2 25 Geo. 2 26 Geo. 2 27 Geo. 2 27 & 28 Geo. 2 28 Geo. 2 29 Geo. 2 30 Geo. 2 31 Geo. 2 32 Geo. 2 33 Geo. 2 George III 1 Geo. 3 2 Geo. 3 3 Geo. 3 4 Geo. 3 5 Geo. 3 6 Geo. 3 7 Geo. 3 8 Geo. 3 8 Geo. 3. Sess. 2 9 Geo. 3 10 Geo. 3 11 Geo. 3 12 Geo. 3 13 Geo. 3 14 Geo. 3 15 Geo. 3 16 Geo. 3 17 Geo. 3 18 Geo. 3 19 Geo. 3 20 Geo. 3 21 Geo. 3 22 Geo. 3 23 Geo. 3 24 Geo. 3. Sess. 1 24 Geo. 3. Sess. 2 25 Geo. 3 26 Geo. 3 27 Geo. 3 28 Geo. 3 29 Geo. 3 30 Geo. 3 31 Geo. 3 32 Geo. 3 33 Geo. 3 34 Geo. 3 35 Geo. 3 36 Geo. 3 37 Geo. 3 38 Geo. 3 39 Geo. 3 39 & 40 Geo. 3 41 Geo. 3. (G.B.) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Aliens Act 1793](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_Act_1793) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_Act_1793?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.