ABSTRACT This paper aims to clarify the dynamic interplay between immigration and nationality legislation and policymaking in post-imperial and pre-Brexit Britain. In 1981 and 2002, the years on which this paper focuses, three pieces of legislation were enacted marking watershed moments for British policy regarding immigration and nationality. The British Nationality Act of 1981 established ‘British citizenship’ in the statute book. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act of 2002 claimed to introduce new meaning and value to the acquisition of British citizenship by introducing a citizenship test and pledge. Furthermore, the British Overseas Territories Act of 2002 expanded the geographic scope of British citizenship by, in theory, providing citizenship to all those eligible in the existing dependent territories. Debates on the meaning of Britishness and the political projects linking immigration and nationality legislation to it, continue today in government, academia, and the media, all of whom are competing to have a tangible impact on policy. This paper addresses two questions. First, how can we account for the protracted nature of the debate on Britishness, and government efforts to enact immigration and nationality legislation based upon it? Second, if the meaning of Britishness has evolved over time, how has it been shaped by the course of these ongoing political debates?

中文翻译：

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重新考虑英国性：21 世纪英国移民与国籍立法和政策制定之间的相互作用

摘要 本文旨在阐明后帝国时代和脱欧前的英国移民与国籍立法和政策制定之间的动态相互作用。在本文所关注的 1981 年和 2002 年，颁布了三项立法，标志着英国移民和国籍政策的分水岭时刻。1981 年的英国国籍法在法令书中确立了“英国公民身份”。2002 年的《国籍、移民和庇护法》声称通过引入公民身份测试和承诺，为获得英国公民身份带来了新的意义和价值。此外，2002 年《英国海外领土法》扩大了英国公民的地理范围，从理论上讲，向现有附属领土内所有符合条件的人提供公民身份。关于英国性的含义以及将移民和国籍立法与其联系起来的政治项目的辩论，今天在政府、学术界和媒体中仍在继续，他们都在竞相对政策产生切实的影响。本文解决了两个问题。首先，我们如何解释关于英国性的辩论的旷日持久性，以及政府在此基础上制定移民和国籍立法的努力？其次，如果英国性的含义随着时间的推移而演变，那么这些正在进行的政治辩论过程是如何塑造的？我们如何解释关于英国性的辩论的长期性质，以及政府在此基础上制定移民和国籍立法的努力？其次，如果英国性的含义随着时间的推移而演变，那么这些正在进行的政治辩论过程是如何塑造的？我们如何解释关于英国性的辩论的长期性质，以及政府在此基础上制定移民和国籍立法的努力？其次，如果英国性的含义随着时间的推移而演变，那么这些正在进行的政治辩论过程是如何塑造的？