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The Empire Settlement Act was a 1922 piece of British legislation to encourage British settlement in its then colonies.[1] Different groups were encouraged to settle including farm labourers and domestic workers. Training was offered as well as help with the cost of transport.
In 1918 the British Government founded the Government Emigration Committee (later renamed to the Overseas Settlement Committee) to encourage former servicemen to emigrate from the UK to the colonies. The idea, as quoted in parliament in 1952 was:
"That the migration of population from the United Kingdom to other parts of the Empire was calculated to promote the economic strength and the well-being of the Empire as a whole, and of the United Kingdom in particular, provided that the flow at any time was not in excess of what the industries of the United Kingdom could afford to spare or in excess of what the Dominions could conveniently absorb."[2]
This was further stated by the Imperial Economic Conference of 1923:
"The Conference is of opinion that the problem of oversea settlement, which is that of a re-distribution of the white population of the Empire in the best interests of the whole British Commonwealth, is one of paramount importance, especially as between Great Britain on the one hand and Canada, Australia and New Zealand on the other. " [2]
The Act was extended in 1937, and again in 1952, 1957, 1962 and 1967.[3]
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