The Aliens Order 1920 (S.R.& O. 1920/448) was a British statutory instrument created under the

Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919 The Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo 5 c 92) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom originally aimed at continuing and extending the provisions of the Aliens Restriction Act 1914, and the British Nationality and S ...

that extended powers over the entry of immigrants into the country. The Order made passports obligatory, and it was brought out in the context of a period of widespread unemployment following the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. As a result of the order, all

aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...

seeking employment, or residence, were required to register with the police and a 'central register of aliens' was maintained under the direction of the

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...

, who was

Edward Shortt Edward Shortt, KC (10 March 1862 – 10 November 1935) was a British lawyer and Liberal Party politician. He served as a member of David Lloyd George's cabinet, most significantly as Home Secretary from 1919 to 1922. Background and education ...

at the time the Order came about. The Order also required that all aliens entering Britain to be subjected to a medical evaluation, and it further permitted immigration officers to refuse entry to anyone deemed "a lunatic, idiot, or mentally deficient" or if "for medical reasons his admission is undesirable," so long as the determination be "certified by a medical inspector". Inspection did not usually require a medical officer, but was largely in the domain of immigration. This Order remained in force until it was replaced by the Aliens Order 1953.

References

` Statutory Instruments of the United Kingdom Public health in the United Kingdom {{health-stub