Metropolitan Police, Aliens Registration Office 1876-1965

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.