Immigration white papers, 1965-2025
A short history of UK immigration, asylum and citizenship policy through the lens of government white papers.

A scheme was introduced in 2004 to provide free passports for British citizens then aged 75 or over “in grateful commemoration for their wartime efforts”. The scheme is aimed at those who were 16 or older at the end of the war.
Free passports for British Citizens born on or before 2nd September 1929. (54 KB , PDF)
A scheme was introduced in 2004 to provide free passports for British citizens then aged 75 or over “in grateful commemoration for their wartime efforts”. The scheme is aimed at those who were 16 or older at the end of the war.
From time to time calls are made to extend the scheme, so that it would provide for free passports for all persons above a certain age. However, successive governments have rejected this idea. They have argued that introducing an ongoing age-related concession for free passports would be considerably more expensive than the existing scheme, and could require an increase in the passport fee paid by other applicants.
Free passports for British Citizens born on or before 2nd September 1929. (54 KB , PDF)
A short history of UK immigration, asylum and citizenship policy through the lens of government white papers.
Inflation-adjusted data for the cost of becoming a British citizen by naturalisation over the past 50 years.
In the 21st century there has been a revived use of government powers to deprive people of their British citizenship and withhold UK passports, particularly as a counter-terrorism measure.