deprive some 30,000 people in this country of their civil rights. Over the next year they will lose the right to vote or stand for office in Parliamentary or local council elections, the right to work in the Civil Service, and will become subject to laws which, if applied, would deprive many of them of the right to strike. All these measures are contained in the infamous Pakistan Act - one of the most viciously racist laws ever passed by Parliament - which became law on 1 September. The architect of this law was the Tory Government, but it was accepted by the vast majority of Labour MP's. In both the House of Commons and the Lords the bill was adopted without a 'division' (i.e. agreement was so complete that it was not necessary to actually count votes). Using Pakistan's withdrawal from the Commonwealth last year as a pretext, this Act makes all Pakistan citizens in this country into 'aliens. As a result they lose all civil rights. They also become subject to the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act - adopted during the postWorld War I working class upsurge to combat "alien communists' - which, among other things, states that If an alien promotes or attempts to promote industrial unrest in any industry in which he has not been bona fide Pakistan The only way around this law is for Pakistanis to register as British citizens: but that is a step which can only be taken after they have been in this country for five years. Those who do not meet this criterion will have to suffer until they are eligible for registration.
LABOUR'S BLESSING Some of the worst provisions of the Act will not take effect for another year: Pakistanis will not lose the right to vote until the new voting registers are drawn up next February, those who are already local councillors will be allowed to serve out their term of office, and those already employed in the civil service will not be sacked for twelve months.
There are several reasons for this concession. In some cases it would not have been practical to move faster. There was also the danger that too drastic action - such as an immediate purge of Pakistani civil servants and local councillors might touch off a wave of resistance within the Pakistani community. But one of the most important considerations was the need to buy Labour Party support for this measure. The original Tory proposals only provided for a six months period of grace; it was only in response to Labour's criticisms that this was extended to one year. And in exchange for this miserable concession almost the entire Parliamentary Labour Party gave its blessing to this racist law. NEW AND DANGEROUS There is something new and very dangerous about the Pakistan Act. It is the first racist law that directs its whole force against those already settled in this country. The immigration laws have had little direct effect on those already here - their main aim has been to make things more difficult for others to get into the country, or to make the position of newcomers more